Recriminations
by daveryship
Summary: Detective Danny Williams could be a serial killer, or he is being framed. One person's grudge can run so deep there's no patience is too much to carry out the perfect plot for the perfect punishment. Will his closest friends see through it all and rescue him in time, or will they be the ones to carry out the punishment? Brothers, the very best of friendship.
1. Chapter 1

**Recriminations**

**Chapter 1: Unknowing.**

Hey Five O fans! It's been a while, I've been busy and still busy but this muse wouldn't let me go. So, here's to hoping you like it. Your feedback would be most appreciated. I'm sure there are typos, be kind to give me a heads up. Cheers.

**They hold a grudge, like it was their family treasure.**

**...**

Detective Danny Williams woke up on the beach. On the beach, of all places. He was starting to get 'rationally concerned' with his own behavior of late. He'd been having these headaches and black outs and now sleep walking? And on the beach, of all places? This was starting to feel like a horror movie, and he didn't want any part of it. The real scary part was, he didn't even remember how he got here. He couldn't remember anything past…well, who knows when? He just…he really needed to go see his doctor again, the meds he had prescribed him were really starting to mess with his head. They had been helpful, nothing major really, nothing out of the ordinary than his usual anti-anxiety pills, helping to keep his blood pressure on the normal sort. It had been a recent thing too, after Grace's recent accident he had found himself unable to sleep right, despite Rachel's almost constant presence these days, he really had needed something for the nightmares of Grace crashing, the car rolling over and over again, he really couldn't sleep. So, he had gone and seen a Specialist who had prescribed said pills, they had been working great, he could not complain, until recently. He had started experiencing these mild, almost constant migraines, he took some pain killers for those but then they turned to black outs. He could not pin point when exactly it started or how, neither could he begin to explain it to himself, let alone to another person. So, nobody knew about it, not Rachel, not even Steve. It hadn't been anything to mention anyway, it really was just minor headaches. As for the blackouts, he hardly knew he was having them until recently when he started missing some tiny bits of his memory, minor stuff, nothing to get concerned about but still… missing pieces in his memory that he was sure he was supposed to have. It was hardly concerning, probably some part of his subconscious he shouldn't even notice was gone, but he noticed, and he was getting just a little bit disconcerted. And that was before he woke up on the beach this morning, with no idea of how he got there. Now that was concerning, that was downright scary, if he would dare admit it to himself.

After checking himself for any injuries or abnormalities, besides the obvious, and finding none, he just lay there on the sand for a while, exhausted, his mind tired of trying to figure this thing out. What the hell was happening to him? He wondered. Sleep walking, and this far out on the beach? He had never done that, not even as a kid, he had never had any such problems and no one in his family as far as he knew had ever sleep walked. This was really starting to freak him out and maybe it's time he told someone, starting with his Doctor, and Steve.

Steve…crap! He was late for work; of that he was sure, even thought he had not looked at his watch yet. If he wasn't in his sleeping shorts and t-shit he would have easily assumed he had been robbed and dumped out here on the beach, but he knew batter. Somehow, he knew that he had walked all by himself all the way to the beach, just as good as he knew he was late for work. Shit!

Danny groaned and scrambled to his knees to get up, dusting the disgusting sand from his hair and clothes. Just what he needed, sand all over his him, and in his ears too. Damn this Island and it's beach! And to think he would choose this as his dream, lala land, to sleep walk to. Of course!

He had to get going though, he had to get back home, assuming he knew which way home was. He had to get a shower and get to work before Steve issued a BOLO on him. Shit! He had to call Steve first and tell him he was running late, overslept, something like that and that he was on his way.

He reached for his pockets. He didn't have his phone. Of course! It started off as a bad day, why not just go with the flow.

…..

Danny made his way to HQ after about an hour of tracing his steps to get back home and making a rush job of showering and dressing up as best he could under the circumstances. None of his meticulous care of his hair, or his general appearance. His phone, which was by his bedstead as expected, showed quite a frantic number of missed calls from Steve. Just great!

As soon as he walked into HQ, the whole team turned on him with worried faces, turning into relief.

"Damn it! Danny, where the hell have you been?!" Steve asked, not masking his relieved but pissed off face.

"Don't tell me you were worried." Danny tried to lighten the moment.

"Don't even try to joke about this Daniel. I was about to come with a unit to your house. You didn't answer your calls, didn't even…"

"Yes, I saw your hundred and twenty calls Steven…"

"They were only twelve."

"Still."

"I'm not joking about this Danny. Where were you? I called Rachel to find if she was with you and she had no idea…"

"You called Rachel?" Crap! Now she was going to be worried too. He better give her a call and assure her that he was safe and sound, just a nut job, apparently. "Look, Steve, I get you were worried…"

"He's not the only one Danny." Lou said, and by the look on everyone's faces, he spoke for everyone in the room.

"Yes, we were worried," Tani said, "But looking at you now, you look alright. I mean, not your usual alright, no hair product, or clean well pressed shirt…wait." She said freezing her hands in midair as she gave Danny a once over. "Come to think of it, you look like crap. You didn't even shave. Did you pass out at a bar? One-night stand? Ha! Walk of shame!" She said, pointing an accusing, teasing finger at Danny.

Danny glared at her, "Good to know you're having fun with this, unfortunately it's nothing that exciting, and don't let Rachel hear you say that. She'll think I'm not serious about getting her back."

"Overall, walk of shame or not, I'm really glad you're ok. You had us truly worried there for a sec." Tani said.

"Especially with a killer on the loose." Said Lou.

"A killer on the loose?"

"Yeah, we caught a case." Lou said. "We're just coming from the scene now. A former HPD officer, throat sliced execution style. So far, we have no idea why or by whom." Lou gave Danny the run down, Steve was still fuming.

Jerry proceeded to swipe the images on to the screen, the officer was in civilian clothing, lying on a beach somewhere, with his throat cleanly sliced. Danny didn't recognize the guy until Jerry punched in some numbers and his I.D face came on. Jerry continued to reiterate the Vic's identity, but Danny was already frozen in place. He knew that guy.

"No!"

"You know that guy?" Steve asked with interest.

"Know him. I worked with the guy for like three months at HPD. He was one of the guys who were nice to me when I was new to the Island. He…damn it, he was…he was one of the few friends to Meka and I. He moved to the mainland just three months after I came to the Island, three months before Meka was killed. He still had family here, he visited a few times and we had drinks now and then." Danny said with difficulty, feeling a rage towards whoever, it was who had murdered his friend.

"I'm sorry Danno." Steve said with sincerity.

Danny just sighed. "What else do we have?" He asked, laser focused on finding the killer who had killed his friend now, all that sleep walking thing and his planed talk with Steve all forgotten. Other things took precedence, like finding the sonofabitch who had done this. Damn it, this felt like Meka all over again.

"At the moment we have nothing, except the killer has an M.O." Jerry said.

"You think this could be a serial killer? A random kill and nothing to do with this guy being a cop or something?" Junior asked.

"At this moment we can't really say, the guy was in civilian clothing and had moved to the mainland a long time ago, but the Island does not forget. He might have old enemies still holding a grudge, that's one way of looking at it." Tani suggested.

"However, this…" Jerry zoomed in on the place beside the body, "…this seems like an M.O, if we're talking serial, that is." Jerry said.

"What are those, three colored money clips?" Danny asked curiously. "That could be anything, could have belonged to the vic, could have been randomly dropped by someone…anything. Those are too random and common and everywhere to be a clue."

"And girly." Steve said, annoyingly.

"I find it a little unusual that a serial killer would use office colored paper clips as an MO." Danny said, ignoring Steve's quip, he had always teased him about those color paper clips.

"Looks like you have something in common with our serial killer, everybody knows you like those girly colored paper clips Danny. Maybe he's into them too." Tani teased.

"They are pretty. Ok? And they hold my papers, which is the main point. Plus, Grace gave them to me, alright!" Danny defended as the others teased him, making light of the moment, which had become too heavy after finding out that Danny had lost yet another friend. "And…she makes sure to bring me a refill whenever she thinks I'm running out." He shrugged, "I've learned to just…go with it."

"Alright, back to business." Steve said. "We need to find any connections our vic might have had with anyone on the Island, family friends, enemies and Danny you're our only lead on this case. Since you knew the vic, you might help shed some light on his personal life."

"Yeah, I mean, I didn't know him for long but…anything I can do to get the son of a bitch who killed him." Danny said with renewed energy fueled by anger.

"It is an MO." Jerry mumbled. "You'll see, I'll prove my theory after the killer kills again."

"Kills again?" Junior asked, nonplussed.

"Well, if it is serial then they'll definitely kill again." Jerry said.

"Not on our watch they won't." Steve said, then turned to Danny. "Again, sorry about your friend, buddy. We'll find the bastard who did this; you can count on that." he said as the others echoed the same sentiment before going to do their assigned jobs to solve the case.

…

See you in a bit, i hope.


	2. Chapter 2

**Recriminations Chapter two- The net.**

**Here's another one guys, i hope you like. **

**...**

**"Every man has his secret sorrows which the world knows not; and often times we call a man cold when he is only sad." **

A week later they were now seated at a bar, after hours, drinking and just being together as a family, a team. They had just come from Benny's funeral, Danny's friend who had been murdered, but they were still at a dead end when it came to finding the killer. It riled Steve that it had been a week already since the whole thing happened and now they had buried the victim without any closure for the family, no justice, at least not yet. Steve took a sip of his long-board, contemplating. They never had to go a week on one case, that's why they were 5-O. But this was taking too long and the longer they took to find this killer the more Steve felt like he was letting his friend down. He looked at Danny now, drinking his own beer, chatting with Adam and Lou. He looked alright but he really wasn't. Something was off with him of late, something was bothering him obviously. And it didn't take a genius to guess what that was, he had just lost a friend and they were no were close to giving him closure by closing this case. Justice being served was the only balm Steve could think of to appease his friend and the vic's family. Steve would attribute Danny's weirdness to that, the guy had lost a friend to murder, the same way he had lost his friend Meka. It must be bringing back bad memories. Benny had left a family too, two boys and a young wife, and 5-0 didn't have any idea who would want to kill the guy. He was a clean, upright, good guy just like Meka had been, not even a parking ticket. His murder was a great mystery still. The whole connection to Danny could not be ignored. That killer was still out there, and Steve feared Danny was most likely the next victim.

Danny had been quiet of late, contemplative, of course that was to be expected. A bit forgetful and absent minded and that was a bit concerning. Danny was always sharp, always ready with a quip or snark comment. Not these days though, in fact not since the whole murder thing, which was a week ago. And again, that was to be expected under the circumstances. This whole thing must have hit him hard, and that is why Steve had suggested a night out for the whole team, to try and lighten him up a bit, particularly after a day like today.

"You're too quiet. What's going on in that head of yours?" Danny said, inclining his head toward Steve as the others remained engrossed in their chatter.

"Me?" Steve asked with a startled smile. Fancy that, he was worried about Danny being too quiet and now he was the one asking why Steve was too quiet. "Crazy, I was just worried about you being weird these days." Steve whispered back.

"Weird? Weird how?" Danny asked.

"Well, just…you know …you're not your usually snarky self and you've been a bit absent lately. I mean, I get it, you just lost a friend and all indications point to this being connected to Meka. All this going on could not have been easy on you. I know you're not in the right frame of mind because of that but… just…if you need to talk, I just want you to know I'm here, Danno. Always. I got your back. And I'm not gonna let anything happen to you." Steve said, seriously.

"Wow, that's quite a mouthful for someone I was worried was too quiet." Danny quipped with a smile. Then a second later he sobered, playing with his longboard nervously. "You know, about that… the talk, I mean." He said looking at Steve who had turned at an angle towards him giving him his full serious attention.

"Yeah?" Steve prompted.

"I just…I've been meaning to talk to you about…" He was stopped mid-sentence, his attention caught by a lady, one he would qualify as 'hot' sashayed towards their table and all the guys stopped talking to gape at her, testimony to her 'hotness'. Tani just rolled her eyes.

"Ah...ehhmm hmm…" Lou coughed.

The others just looked on in shocked silence, exchanging looks as the girl stopped right next to Danny, putting her hand on the arm of his chair and leaned over him, smiling to the others in greeting but mostly at Danny. She discreetly passed a piece of paper to him, with a few whispered words in his ear. Danny was dumb struck, maybe even more than the team as the girl smiled again at the rest of them and sashayed away.

There was a little more silence at the table before Tani said,

"Ok, what just happened there?"

"I've no idea, she didn't even look at any of us. Just zeroed in on you. Like we are all some part of furniture of something." Steve complained., Junior laughed.

"Didn't even so much as glanced at you, boss." Tani teased.

McGarrett was gapping at Danny, who was smiling secretly at his small paper.

"No way that's a phone number." Steve said, skeptically.

"Then what is it?" Danny said, holding the paper close to heart.

"Then show it to me."

"I don't want to."

"Why not? Unless if it 'some business you two were conducting right there, you probably know her from somewhere." Steve said, still disbelieving.

"If that's what you want to think to feel better about being passed over by a beautiful lady for me, then go right ahead. But know this, I have never seen that girl all my life and she's too hot for me to not remember." Danny said.

"What did she whisper to you?" Steve asked curiously, still with a disbelieving face.

"Well, if you must know," Danny said with a cocky smile, "she said, her words, that I was hot, and she couldn't take her eyes off me from across the bar…"

"You sure those were her exact words?" Tani teased.

"To a T", Danny said, "She would like to get together with me after I'm done here with the whole bunch of you. She asked if I would be so kind as to grace her with my presence." Danny continued.

"Ha! I'm sure there is a bit of exaggeration there." Tani quipped again.

"In her hotel room." Danny said with a final victory note. But he wasn't finished. "Then she handed me this piece of paper with her phone number, room number and hearts and kissed drawn with her lipstick."

The oohs and the aahhs followed, along with Tani's "What is she, in high school or something?"

"Don't be jealous." Danny said

"I gotta see that." Steve reached to snatch the paper

Danny protested, dodging Steve's attempt to snatch the paper from him. The two started to squabble over the piece of paper Steve resorting to tickling, Tani joined in as the others laughed. Danny was laughing hard, and he finally relinquished the small piece of paper.

And no, it didn't have any hearts, or kisses or lipstick marks, but it was indeed a phone and hotel room number.

"Lucky bastard." Steve grudgingly commented, tossing the piece of paper back to Danny. "You've still got it, it seems."

"Are you really gonna take the invite?" Tani asked as she and Steve both took back their seats.

"What? Of curse not." Danny said. "I'm still in my prime but I'm past all that."

"That and the fact that she obviously is a business lady." Adam said, smiling into his longboard.

"What kind of Business is she in?" Junior asked innocently.

"Oh, come on. Junior!"

"Honestly?!"

"Even I would have known that." Jerry said.

"He's just been in the Navy too long, away from real life, like this Neanderthal." Danny said, good-naturedly hitting Steve on the shoulder.

"Young blood, I really don't have to be the one schooling you on the latest, trending, wording of this day and age, do i?" Lou said to Junior.

"It's really not the latest Lou." Tani quipped.

Lou laughed. "Besides, I couldn't keep up with that anymore." He said, indicating the lady who had just walked away. "These old bones be dragging me down. Plus, Renee would kill me if I so much as draw that much attention from another woman. Can you believe?"

"Plus, Rachel will kill you." Steve said to Danny.

"Plus, that. Honestly I should crumble this and throw it away but I'm thinking of keeping this as a memento." Danny said, looking at Steve, "I've got one on you buddy. I'm gonna frame this for future refence in case that debate ever came up again."

The evening went on in laughter and a better, lighter mood that before. Steve was just so glad to see Danny laugh that hard again. Come to think of it, it really had been a while, in general, since any one of them had laughed this much and it was especially better for Danny to laugh like this at a time like this. He was grateful to the 'business lady' 'call girl' or whoever the hell she was, she had made them laugh. She had made Danny laugh.

…..

This morning Danny was awakened by his ringing phone, it was Steve.

"Hey." Danny said groggily, he felt like he had been run over by a truck. And what time was it anyway that Steve was bothering him?

"Hey, where are you? You sound like you're still sleeping." Steve said.

"Still sleeping, what time is it?" Danny asked, then checked his time. "Crap!"

"Yeah, and we've got a case." Steve said on the other end, the concern in his voice obvious now. "You ok, Danno?"

"Yeah yeah, I'm good. I'm good. Just…uhhh…," Danny was disorientated, looking around him, he had slept on the couch. And he had one hell of a hangover, or what felt like it. What day was it? According to Steve, it didn't sound like a weekend. "Uhh...i'll be right there, just give me a few minutes. I'm sorry man, I must have overslept."

"You sure you're ok?"

"Yeah yeah absolutely, I just…uh…may have drank a lot last night. I have a gigantic hangover."

"Last night? Danny, you never drink on a Monday night."

"I don't? And …Monday?"

"Tuesday, last night was a Monday. Are you sure you're ok?" Steve insisted, now a little bit more concerned. "Where were you last night?"

Last night. He didn't remember. "I... uhh, like you said I don't drink on a Monday, I…just give me a…"

"I'm coming to pick you up in 10." And Steve was gone.

Danny just stared for a second at the phone. In 10. That was just… he had to shower and dress and … he felt like he had been run over by a huge truck, had a concussion and broken bones, but he had to get up and move quickly.

He was still in his work clothes, shoes and all. His shirt was rumbled, looked like it had been in a fight and out, matched the way he felt. And it was missing a button. Really?! Had he been in a fight or something? Because he couldn't remember a single thing. He brushed it aside, to deal with later when he's had a coffee to clear his head. In the meantime, he had to shower quickly because Steve will be here any minute.

Twenty minutes later Danny and Steve were at the crime scene, a hotel room at the Hilton. Vic had a slit throat just like the last vic, but a lady this time. A lady they all recognized, and they all turned to look at Danny.

Danny looked puzzled; like he didn't recognize her. Something felt really weird about this whole thing though to him. His friends were giving him sort of condolence looks, like he was supposed to know her or something.

Steve was getting a really strange vibe to this whole thing too. First it was Danny's friend, and now a girl who had shown interest in Danny earlier. It was now more than a hunch; this killer was stalking Danny and he Steve was getting scared.

The crime scene sweeps retrieved a single shirt button, looked like it belonged to a shirt, possibly the killer's shirt. This could be a key piece of evidence; DNA was still to be determined. There would be hairs, hopefully and some DNA they could identify. They might have a break in this case after all, Steve hoped, before Danny moved up in line to be the next victim.

Danny didn't know much about anything right now and it was concerning. He was supposed to know this girl, but he didn't. He couldn't recall anything from last night, or any part of the day. He had woken up on his couch this morning, still in his work clothes, rumbled clothes with a button missing. And now a random shirt button had been bagged as evidence at the crime scene. Could be random but Danny was having a really bad feeling.

Danny drew Steve aside.

"Steve, I think we need to talk."

...

**"For after all, the best thing one can do when it is raining is let it rain."**

**...**

See you in a bit.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter**** 3- Doubt**

**Hi guys, it's been a while but i'm back. I'm hoping to finish this post before i get busy again, so i hope regular updates on this story for a while. Anyhoo, here's another one, i hope you still remember where we left off. I hope you enjoy and give your feedback. would love to hear from you.**

**...**

**What loneliness is more lonely than distrust?**

**...**

"I need…I need to get out of here. I need to talk to you." Danny said, out of breath.

"Ok, ok…do you want to go to the hospital.? You don't look too good …"

"No no no just…just out, in the car maybe…I don't know…"

"Ok, ok let's go." Steve said, leading him out of the room where Five 0 and HPD were busy compiling evidence, the team may have seen them discreetly leave the room and figured Danny was a little more disturbed with the scene than he had first let on. The vic was someone he knew yet again, murdered just after a week of his friend's murder, same style, same MO. If that wasn't disturbing, they didn't know what was. This all but spelt out that the killer was circling Danny, closing in. And they were all a little apprehensive about who was to follow next if they didn't get this killer now. Danny was most probably the next target, or any one of them.

Steve got into the driver's seat of the Camaro while Danny got onto the passenger seat, as usual, but they were not going to drive anywhere. They were just going to talk, away from too many eyes.

Steve waited for Danny to get his equilibrium, he had been hyperventilating by the time they left the building and Steve was guessing he was having a panic attack. But now he was calming down. Steve waited for him to start talking, giving him room and space to get it together.

The whole thing was running through Danny's mind now, how he had woken up with no memory of where he had been the previous night. Twice now this had happened to him and twice a person he knew was found dead right after. It was suspicious, he was suspicious of himself. How much more Steve, if he told him? If he told him everything he knew so far. How he had woken up on a beach where his friend was found dead the same morning, and how he had no recollection of the previous night. How he had woken up at his house his morning with a shirt missing a button, which same button, he was positive, was the one found at the crime scene this morning in the blood of a girl he supposedly knew but had no reconciliation of how or when. Danny was suspicious of himself; how would Steve take it? Looking at him now, his concerned face, Danny was getting scared to see that look replaced by that of horror and suspicion if Steve put two and two together. He just didn't know if he could survive seeing that look on Steve's face, directed at him. No way. And he could not even begin to think of how he would breathe to see that same look on Rachel's face. What about Grace? How would she survive in College with a father who is branded a serial killer? Were these two even the only people he had killed so far, without knowing? What about Charlie? How will he grow up with his dad in jail for murder? His whole Ohana, cops. No ordinary cops either, five-0. Steve might be a bit blinded when it came to his best friend, but his other friends might not be. Which would only be right, because he was a murderer and justice had to be served. He just…, he didn't want to put them in the position of putting handcuffs on him and lead him to prison, they couldn't take it, especially Steve. And now Danny was sweating, his mind was all over the place. He couldn't tell him. Not everything. At least not all that he could recollect and put together himself.

"Danny, talk to me. What are you thinking?" Steve inquired, still concerned.

"Uh… I just…I don't know man, this whole thing is starting to feel like…"

"Like the killer is closing in on you?" Steve said. "I promise you buddy, I won't let him get near you or your family. In fact, I'm thinking of putting you, Rachel and the kids in protective custody until we can figure this thing out. We're going to get this guy but in the meantime I need you safe." Steve said earnestly.

"Ok, that's one way of looking at it." Danny mumbled.

"What?"

"I woke up on the beach, Steve. The morning you found Ben's body; I woke up on the beach."

"What do you mean?" Steve asked confused.

"Exactly that. I woke up on beach with no idea how I got there. I got to my house to find everything was in order, but I was late for work. That's when you couldn't get any response from me on my phone. And when I got to work…"

"Are you serious?!" Steve asked, now a little (Offended) "And you didn't tell me? Danny what the hell are you saying? Did something happen to you? Did somebody hurt you or…?"

"I don't know alright?! I don't know!" Danny yelled in frustration. "I just…found myself on the beach with no recollection, whatsoever, of how I got there." Danny raked his head with his hands, a sign of his frustration, messing up his hair.

"Whoa, backup a bit, that was a week ago, Daniel. Why didn't you tell me?" Steve said angrily.

"I forgot! Ok? I don't know, I got to work, and you guys were all so worried about me missing and then there was Ben's death, I just…I forgot." Danny sighed. "I seem to be doing that a lot lately", he mumbled.

"What, the frustrated, constant sighing or the forgetting?" Steve mocked.

"Both I guess. The latter." Danny said. "And…" He paused.

"And?" Steve prompted.

"And it's not the first time…"

"You woke up on the beach without any memory before?" Steve asked in outraged alarm.

"I …well more or less…" Danny said in frustration.

"Jeez Daniel…!"

"Not…not that drastic, at least the beach thing was the first time, before that it had only been chunks of memory loses that I really wasn't all that concerned about. Until I woke up on the beach, of course."

Steve sighed in despair. "You realize how dangerous this is, right? How could you not tell me something like that Danny? What the hell were you thinking?!"

"Well, I wasn't thinking all that well Steven, apparently I've gone crazy. Stop yelling at me!"

"I'm not yelling at you." Steve said, his voice still raised.

"Please," Danny said dismissively, raking his hands in his hair again, leaning on the dash. "I'm sorry, ok. I just…didn't think about it with Ben's murder and all that, up until…up until I did it again this morning."

"This morning? When I called you this morning and you sounded…"?

"Yeah. Your call woke me up, and I was sleeping on my couch with no idea what date it was or how I had ended up sleeping on the couch." Danny said.

He was looking at Steve now, seeing the wheels of his mind spinning and he waited for him to get the clue. To point a finger and say, 'hey so, could you be a sleep walking serial killer?' He knew Steve would never accuse him but …when the evidence was there and it all turned out to be true, what could he do? He didn't want to put Steve in such a position. Danny had to somehow prepare Steve for the possibility of him being the killer because to Danny there was no other explanation. And Danny was sure the evidence in that room would come pointing back at him, including the button. Could he tell Steve about the button? Should he tell him about the button and see Steve's trust in him shatter? At that he panicked. He couldn't, he just couldn't. Steve was going to figure it out himself soon enough anyway, he could spare himself that look of horror and in distrust in Steve's eyes. At least for now.

Steve sighed again with frustration, hurt that Danny had left him out on something so important. Didn't he realize by now that his life was in danger? God, the killer had gotten this close to him if what Danny was telling him was anything to go by, which it was. How did someone wake up on a beach without any idea how he got there and not tell him about it?! Especially in light of a possible serial killer case, which was now a confirmed fact with this second kill. How could he just brush something like that aside? Danny needed to go see a doctor pronto, and after that Steve was putting him in protective custody with his family until they got this killer.

"You need to see a doctor. You need a psych eval, now Daniel." Steve said with a serious face that brooked no argument.

"I hear you. I did see my Doctor a number of times before this… before it all escalated to this, back when it was just anxiety…"

"Anxiety."

"Yeah, and then later, little memory slips. I thought, maybe side effects from the meds he had prescribed but…he said they had no such effect, they are standard issue, over the counter type, and he said he would look into it, but it's not the meds. I haven't seen him again since, because after the beach incident, it didn't happen again, until this morning."

"I'll take you to the Doctor…"

"No, you've got a case Steve…"

"No way I'm letting you out of my sight now. There is a killer on the loose clearly after you and I'm just supposed to…?"

"You've got a murder on the loose, and one man short." Danny said, indicating himself and grimacing at the pan, clearly not intended and Steve would have laughed or teased him about it had the situation not been so dire. "I'll go see my doctor, right now, I promise. And I can take care of myself, you forget, I'm five 0." Danny said, lightly, with a cajoling smile.

"I don't feel good about this." Steve said, with misgiving.

"I know, but I can take care of myself, and you need to be hands-on this scene. Besides, I don't think I'm in the right frame of mind to be working today, so I'll go see the doctor then straight home. I'll sleep and try to remember some things if I can. I'll call you when I get home. Now get out and let me drive my own car for today." Danny said.

Steve wasn't budging.

"Look," Danny looked at him earnestly, a kind of intensity in his eyes, "I need you to find the truth. I need…I need to know the truth, alright? I need you on this to bring whoever it is that is doing this to Justice. Bring the killer to justice Steven, no matter who it is."

Steve, more than anything, wanted to protest, but there was this desperate look in Danny's eyes that said he hadn't even processed this for himself yet. He needed time alone and following him everywhere or putting someone on him just now would be the exact opposite of what he needed right now. Steve cursed his ability to read his friend so well, but he did, and he just could not ignore it. Steve needed to ease on the rope a little bit and let Danny try and figure this out for himself. Danny should not be left alone but he could take care of himself, no doubt. However, in his mind frame of 'forgetfulness', waking up on the beach with no memory? Steve really could not just let him be on his own right now. Steve was torn between wanting to protect his friend and giving him back a little bit of his dignity. But Danny was right, Steve thought, after having reached a very difficult decision, the case needed all hands-on deck if they had a hope of finding this killer before he got to Danny or someone else close to him. Danny can take care of his own and Steve and team had to make sure they got the killer in time. Danny needed his space to get his bearing here. Steve could be a mother hen, but he really needed to give Danny his space to think. So, he relented, getting out of the car and watched Danny drive off leaving him standing there with plenty thoughts of misgiving. Should he have done that? Should he have let him go on his own like that?

Too late, the Camaro was already disappearing behind the curve. Danny was out of sight now. Steve sighed and walked back into the hotel building to carry on with the scene and whatever else they could gather for a lead on their suspect.

CSU would be coming up with results of DNA and all the prints in the room would have been processed by now, hopefully there would be a clue as to who their killer was.

...

1) **There is no such thing as paranoia , your worst fears can come true at any moment**.

...

**See you in a bit**

…


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4- Web**

**Hey guys, thanks for the support. Here's another one, i hope you like. **

**...**

**People are trapped in history and history is trapped in them.**

**...**

The team was back at HQ, Steve had tried to call Danny, but his phone went straight to voice mail. He didn't panic, Danny was probably still at the Doctor's or having a talk about this whole sleep walking thing with Rachel. It hadn't been that long since he had seen him last anyway, an hour tops, at the crime scene where they had had their 'talk'. Steve was still a little shaken by the whole thing. Danny was in serious trouble; he just didn't know how much. How could he have a memory lapse to the extent of waking up on the beach without remembering how he got there and not tell him about it?! Steve could be pissed about it, but he was more worried, something serious was going on and he just knew the worst was coming. At that thought he called Danny again, still going to voice mail. So, he decided to leave a message.

"Hey, buddy. I just thought I'd check up on you. I'm worried ok? This is dangerous Danny. So, give me a call as soon as you get home, ok? Let me know what the doctor said."

Steve ended his message and leaned back in his chair in despair. His mind was restless with all kinds of scenarios. Danny was being poisoned by someone, maybe the killer was that close to him, or maybe he was coming down with something. Could be a symptom for some malignant condition or something, cancer of the brain, Alzheimer's? But at his age? It was unlikely that it would be that bad. All the scenarios he ran through his mind said Danny was in imminent danger, but none of them prepared him for what came next when Junior and Tani walked in with the evidence from CSU.

"Sir?" Junior said, poking his head in Steve's office, "Uh…we are back and …uh… we need…"

"You got the results?" Steve asked eagerly, getting up from his desk to go to the computer room, ready to find out who their killer was so he could quickly and efficiently end them and breathe easy for the first time in a week.

"Yes…uh…you need to see this." Junior stammered, he sounded unusually nervous, but Steve brushed it off, he had more important things to deal with right now.

"Ok, what do we got?" Steve asked eagerly as he leaned on the computer table, ready to tackle the next task, which was, find out who this serial killer was.

Everyone else was ready for the news except for Tani and Junior who seemed reluctant to speak.

"Come on guys, what's with you? Do you have the results or not?" Steve asked, puzzled.

"Yeah, I mean, we only have a serial killer on the loose, please take your time." Lou added, with the same impatience laced with sarcasm.

"Alright…well, the…you're not gonna like this." Tani was stuttering too.

How bad was it? Steve started to wonder. Was it not enough evidence to hold the culprit or what?

"What is it? Do you not have enough?" Jerry took the words right out of Steve's mouth.

Tani snorted, "Oh, we…we've got too much."

Not to waste everyone's time Junior ventured, handing Steve the envelope with a nervous explanation.

"The uh…the DNA evidence on the victim and at the crime scene mostly consisted of Detective Williams' uh…DNA and fingerprints which were…pretty much everywhere in the room. Nothing major really, just a little bit of hair here and there…" Junior tried to play it down, but really, DNA was DNA. "Could be from our crime investigation, Detective Williams was there, initially…when we started, so…" Junior couldn't go any further with the horrified stares he was getting from everyone in the room.

Steve just froze, his face confused as he listened to Junior's explanation.

"Well, of course. Danny had an encounter with the vic, albeit short encounter, but maybe he decided to go visit her at the hotel or something after all. Maybe he decided he better have one on the side while Rachel is deciding whether to take him back or not." Lou was stuttering trying to explain this, but he knew as anyone in this room that it was highly unlikely that Danny ever went in search of that girl again, not when he and Rachel were on the mend like this. And if he had, then he was in a shit load of trouble. That's why Lou continued, "And the fingerprints, I'm sure you'll find most of our fingerprints there too, we investigated the room. It's not every time I wear my gloves at a crime scene. In fact, I didn't even wear mine today." Lou said. This didn't even make sense.

"Yeah, Danny said he never saw that girl again after the time she gave him her number and we were all present. No DNA would have been transferred in that short encounter, unless if we missed something." Tani said.

_Or maybe he couldn't remember_. Steve could only make mental notes in his mind, not ready to say anything yet, couldn't say anything yet. Everything was adding up wrong and he needed to recalculate.

Danny had sworn to him that he never had another encounter with that girl apart from the time she first approached him at the bar, with all of them present and Tani was right, no DNA of any kind would have been transferred there. Let alone her hotel room, which Danny never went to, according to Steve's recollection of what Danny had told him. In fact, Danny couldn't even remember the girl.

"What else do we got?" Steve asked huskily.

"Oh, except for the DNA and fingerprints, nothing much. Just the random shirt button, which could be nothing." Tani said.

Seeing Steve's face, Lou tried again. "You know what, maybe just call Danny and have him straighten this thing out. It's nothing, I promise you. There's gotta be some kind of explanation for this…this DNA." Lou said the abbreviation with a tinge of derision. He then turned to Steve who was still too quiet, "What are you thinking?"

Steve sighed, "I'm thinking that Danny is in a lot of trouble and I mean a LOT of trouble. The killer is getting too close to him to have gotten his DNA in order to frame him. I'm thinking someone has got a very big grudge against him and I'm talking, 'shoot you in the chest then kill myself' sort of grudge, and it wouldn't be the first time. But this one has got a real solid plan." Steve said, then spun around sighing and half laughing at the same time. "It's admirable." He said, in that 'you got me, well played checkmate' tone.

"We need to call Danny. He most defiantly is in danger." Adam said. Everyone was in denial that Danny could be involved in this. No way.

"He's not picking up." Steve said. "We need to…"

He didn't get to finish his sentence as Duke and two other officers walked in wearing serious but forlorn faces.

"Duke, what can we do for you?" Steve said in greeting, already on the defensive. He knew what was coming.

Duke greeted everyone politely, no doubt feeling awkward about his mission here today. Talk about Ohana.

"Steve, guys, I'm sorry about my duty here today but I think you know by now what I'm here for, by the looks on your faces." Duke said.

"No, no idea Duke. Enlighten me." Steve said, being difficult, even a tiny bit belligerent.

The old man sighed, this was really taking hi toll on his old age, and to have to face off with Ohana to arrest an Ohana? One of his friends too? It was the hardest thing in his carrier, so far. No, second hardest, he remembered he had arrest Steve at one time, sometime back too.

"I'm here for Williams. I'm sorry, but the governor…"

"The governor had no right! This is a five-o case." Steve blew up.

"I realize that, but I think the governor was of a mind that this was too close to home. She is letting HPD take the lead on this one." Duke said, apologetic.

Steve fumed, "She didn't even call me to give me a heads up."

"She thought you would be the one to call her and give her a heads up. It seemed you kept the evidence to yourself."

"What evidence, Duke? We just found out, not even five minutes before you walked in. How is it you found out first…. how…?"

"Steve, I don't know. CSU called the governor first, I guess. Maybe as per directive since this has taken almost a week to solve and the governor may have wanted to stay on top of it. By the time HPD closed the crime scene CSU already had a pretty good idea where this was headed."

"Fingerprints? How is that enough evidence for you to budge in here…?!"

"It's enough evidence, Steve. At least enough to bring him in for questioning. Hell, we have arrested many for so much less, and you know it." Duke said calmly. "And we can't ignore the link with the murder last week, again someone close to Danny. There is certainly an explanation, but he needs to clarify this. That's all."

Steve felt trapped, like he was being closed in. This was not happening. Yes, certainly the evidence was there but…they could not be thinking that Danny could be the killer, right? No way they would think that!

"You certainly don't think…?" Steve tried to protest but he knew it was to no avail.

"It's just for questioning Steve." Duke said.

"Well, he's not here. "Steve said.

"Forgive me Steve but you know I'm just doing my job here and by such that means I have to search." Said Duke, showing him a search warrant.

Steve grudgingly let him through, knowing that they were not going to find anything, Danny truly wasn't here. He probably was home but why wasn't he answering his phone?

"Oh, and the lead Detective in this case has already taken a unit to search Danny's house." Duke said.  
"Just thought you should know."

"When?" Steve asked, somehow panicked.

"I'm sure he should be arriving there any time now."

"Thanks Duke." Steve said, "I'm sure they wouldn't mind us helping out."

Adam and Jerry were left monitoring HPD while Steve and the rest of the team took off to Danny's house.

Steve kept trying Danny's phone, still voice mail. He tried the Doctor's number, 'no, Danny had never been there since about a week ago'. Great, so Danny had not even been t see the Doctor like he promised he would. Steve was getting a really bad feeling about this.

What the hell was happening? He tried Rachel and she hadn't seen Danny since yesterday when she visited HQ with Charlie, Steve had seen them.

'How about last night.'

Negative, had not even spoken to him since her visit. She had tried to call him last night, but his phone had gone to voice mail. She didn't think much of it, just thought maybe he was sleeping and didn't want to be disturbed or something, though unusual for him, she had let it go.

'Why? Was anything wrong? Did he not show up for work today? Should she be worried?'

"No, nothing to worry about Rachel." Steve felt like the worst liar. "I was with him about an hour ago, just can't get hold of him, is all. He must still be at the Doctor's." He lied outright, knowing that the doctor had already said that Danny hadn't been there.

"The Doctor's? Is he alright?"

"Yeah, yeah, just …uh…" Steve didn't know what to say now. Just what? Been 'sleep walking' and forgetting things like whether or not he had killed somebody? "…uh …just a migraine that he complained about." Steve managed to lie. "Listen, I'm about to get to a case now…" Case being Danny's house as he was pulling into Danny's driveway, two HPD vehicles already parked. "I'll uh…I'll call you later Rachel. If you hear from Danny, please let him know I'm looking for him. Nothing major, just checking up on him."

"Alright Steve, I'll do that."

And Steve ended the call and took a deep breath. This was beginning to look very very bad.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5- Hangman's noose.**

**Hey guys, thanks so much for the support. Here's another one, keep em reviews coming. I hope you like.**

**...**

**"I'm going to untangle this deadly scheme, even if it leaves my life hanging by a thread."**

...

They entered Danny's house, HPD was already busy ravaging the place, looking for evidence, whatever they could pin on him. Internal Affairs was there, of course, so this had escalated. Danny's neat living-room was being ravaged without any respect or care. Steve noticed one HPD officer carelessly move a photo of Danny with Grace and Charlie from it's stand only for it to fall and break, Steve lost it. He was about to pounce on the guy but Lou stretched a hand out to stall him.

"Steve?" Lou said, cautioning. They needed to play nice here even if everything happening was making his skin own crawl.

Steve didn't take heed but he calmed a notch, walking up to the officer who was startled by his abrupt presence that he paused from is search, looking curiously up at Steve.

"Officer…" Steve looked at his tag, "…Kale. Is this how you conduct a search?" He asked, indicating the broken picture frame.

The officer just stared at him with guilt.

"I want you to pick it up and have it re-framed and on my desk first thing in the morning." Steve delivered steely.

The officer just nodded, picking up the broken frame. "Sorry Commander, my mistake."

Steve didn't acknowledge it, he turned to face the I.A Detective who was now approaching him. Good thing it wasn't Sergeant Cage, whatever little difference that made. It was a new guy, trying to throw his weight around. Still, at least it wasn't Cage. Steve didn't like Cage from their last encounter, although in the end he had eventually come on-board. Maybe it would have been better to have Cage on this case, at least he knew Danny. He might be a little bit less blinkered since he had dealt with a frame case like this before, Meka's case.

"Commander McGarrett, I've heard a lot about you. Sergeant Carl Mannex, Internal Affairs." The guy said, extending a hand to Steve in greeting. Steve took it, and that's all the politeness he was prepared to offer at the moment.

"Yeah, I would say nice to meet you but what I really need to know is what the hell you are doing here? Did you get a Warrant to vandalize Detective Williams' his house like this?" Steve said menacingly.

"Look, I know we're getting off on the wrong foot here by the sheer fact of me being on the other side of this thing. But I'll suggest you let me do my job and maybe I'll let you in on the show. I'm sorry for the vandalism but we are looking for some key pieces of evidence." Mannex said calmly. His calmness irritated Steve, it boarded on patronizing.

"Right, because the DNA and what not is not substantial enough for you, so you're doing this." Steve said, just as condescending.

Mannex scoffed then indicated for Steve to follow him. They proceeded to Danny's bedroom. The bed was made but there were clothes hastily thrown around, like someone was in a hurry to pack. Steve listened as Mannex explained the evidence, which Steve managed to counter, silently, in his head. Not enough. The evidence was not enough to hold Danny, so far it was all circumstantial. But Steve could not breathe a sigh of relief yet, something told him that this wasn't the end of it.

Danny's laptop was just as hastily thrown on the bed. Mannex reached for it and handed it to Steve.

"We haven't been able to open it since it is password protected. Of course, we can have an expert bypass it but I think it's good that you're here, and if you know the password you might just make our lives easier." Mannex said graciously.

Steve knew the password, anyone who knew Danny well would know what it was, and that might very well include whoever was trying to frame him. Steve entered the password and it opened; he handed the laptop back to Mannex.

"Ok, what are we looking for?" Steve asked.

"I usually start with emails." Mannex said and went straight to accessing Danny's emails. He didn't have to go far. The most recent was a flight booking to Singapore, one ticket, one way. And Mannex didn't need to look any further, he had found his damning evidence.

Singapore? Another Island? No way! Steve was not buying it. Reason why this was bogus? One, Danny hated Islands. The guy was just starting to get used to Hawaii, maybe even like it a little bit but he definitely was not a new fan of Islands. Danny would never pick Singapore as a fugitive destination. Maybe the framer didn't know Danny that well after all. But then again one would say the less predictable the better, right? Danny was a smart, seasoned Detective, one might suggest that he would try and do the opposite of what would be expected of him. Like fly off to another God forsaken, pineapple infested Island.

Two, Danny would never leave his family, especially his kids. However, one would say if he felt like he was going to be a danger to them or an embarrassment, he might. But Danny would most likely turn himself in if he were in his right mind. Plus, Danny had told him all about his memory lapses this morning. Granted, he should have told him when this whole thing started but because of said memory loses he had forgotten to tell him. And when he remembered to tell him, Danny had told him everything. That was Steve's confidence, Danny hadn't lied to him and all this was a fabrication. Someone was trying to frame him and Steve was going to get to the bottom of it!

This was beginning to feel eerily like deja vu', the pre-booked one ticket being a major trigger. Steve remembered Danny's friend Meka, burnt to death, with a badge in his mouth after being so efficiently framed as a dirty cop. Chills went up his spine as he recalled all this evidence and what had happened then. God, Danny was probably dead somewhere with a badge in his mouth, and made to look like a serial killer cop.

In the other rooms of the house Tani and the rest of Five O were busy trying to find their own type of evidence, something that would indicate to this being an abduction case, a framing…anything. She was looking through the trash and froze when she found a shirt thrown in there. She discreetly reached in and took it out, studying it, her breath hitched. She could be wrong, but this was the shirt Danny was wearing the night before, and it was missing a button. She froze, not knowing what to do with it. Hide it or hand it over to HPD? One cop was now looking curiously at her. If she didn't act normal and fast, she would have no choice but to hand it over to HPD. And what was that…blood? On one of the shirt sleeves?

This wasn't looking good and before she had decided what to do an HPD officer came up to talk to her, she barely managed to hide the shirt and school her face, turning to him.

"Found anything interesting yet?" He asked.

"No, nothing yet. Still looking." She said. The officer nodded and moved on. Tani took a deep breath.

Ok, now what?

...

Steve walked out of the house with his team, leaving I.A and HPD wrapping up their investigation in Danny's house, he had more pressing issues on his mind. Like finding Danny right now, hopefully alive. As for clues to who could be framing him, he had none. Danny unfortunately had many enemies that actually rivaled his own and if Danny were present, he might be able to provide some clues. But he wasn't here. Danny was missing, most likely dead if the frame job was what Steve was thinking it was. And it was scary as hell. Meka had been framed almost the same way, and had left Danny to clear up his name and give him a decent burial. The people involved in Meka's framing had all died, notably Ochoa and Kaleo. Who else would have it in for Danny like this? He hoped to God, Danny didn't up and die with a badge in his mouth and expect Steve to clear his name and give him a 'decent burial'. Because Steve just couldn't!

They drove back to HQ with the single purpose of finding Danny, they will turn this Island upside down until they found him, hopefully alive. Because Steve was sure of one thing at this point, Danny had not left for Singapore leaving his family behind. Not the Danny he knew. Something was happening, something really bad.

...


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6- The lid.**

**Hey guys, thanks again for the reviews. Here's another, i hope you like. Cheers.**

**...**

**'When does the path we walk on lock around our feet? And when does the road become a river with only one destination?'**

**...**

Driving back to HQ Tani was silent, even to Junior's attempt to lighten the situation. It wasn't every day that one of theirs was accused of murder, not just one but two, so far.

"You ok?" Junior at last inquired of her solemn silence.

"No, Jun, I'm really not." She said with a tinge of sarcasm,

"Look, I know this is really unusual for us and it's starting to look very bad for Danny but…come on! We'll get through this. No way Danny is involved in these murders, of course not! We'll clear this up." Junior said with conviction.

"I wish I had your confidence Jun. Honestly, as of just fifteen minutes ago, I did have your confidence. I'm not so sure anymore." Tani said dejectedly.

"What changed fifteen minutes ago?" Junior asked curiously.

Tani sighed, if she could tell anyone about her dilemma, it might as well be Jun. She had discreetly snuck the shirt into the car without HPD noticing and hid it under her car seat. Now she reached beneath her seat and pulled out the shirt.

"Whoa, what is that" Junior asked.

"Evidence."

"Of what? And don't tell me you're messing up with evidence Tani, this is dangerous and obstruction…"

"It's Danny's shirt, Junior. The one he was wearing yesterday. Even I can recognize it because Danny might have a lot of shirts, but they are pretty much the same, white, blue…stripped white and blue." She sighed.

"So?"

"It was in the trash," she said and looked at him now with dread in her eyes. "And it's missing a button."

Junior didn't get it at first, because it couldn't be.

"No." He said in horror and denial.

"I wish." She sighed again in exasperation. "Why is it that I'm the only one who gets to these things first? I always find evidence that implicates one of ours and …and then what? Now what? Last time it was Adam and his gun, now…now it's Danny. He's not only our second ranking boss, he's… he's family, Jun. I've literary ran into evidence that implicates him instead of finding evidence that exonerates him. What am I supposed to do with this now? I just couldn't let HPD have this…I don't know…I didn't even think…" She was panicking, speaking too fast and hyperventilating.

"Whoa…whoa, calm down. We don't know what this is yet." Junior said.

"Do we not though? This is Danny's shirt with a spatter of blood on the sleeve and a missing button. Which button, I'm sure, is sitting in HPD evidence lockup waiting to be matched." Tani said, still panicked.

Junior pulled over and leaned on his seat to take a breath for a minute. "Ok, let's see the shirt."

She handed him the shirt and he examined it. Yep, there was a button missing, identical to the one they had picked up at the crime scene, judging by the other buttons on the shirt, it was a match. Even he could deduce that from just a glance. There was blood on the sleeve, just a spot, but blood nonetheless and he hoped to God that it wasn't their last vic's blood, or worse, Danny's. Still, as the evidence came together, he could not bring himself to believe that Danny had done this. No way. He just could not reconcile the Danny he knew with a serial killer.

"Look, I know how this looks, but there's gotta be some kind of explanation for this. No way…" Junior started.

"I would say that too, but if I were a detective, which I am, what would I think? Danny himself taught us to look at the evidence and let the evidence lead. He's always saying that what the evidence says is usually what is." Tani said.

"I hear you, but he also said, if something looks too obvious, it's usually meant to be deceiving. Most of the time, things are not what they seem, especially that which is too easy to read. Not too long ago he taught me how to track a suspect in the jungle. When I would have followed the evidence, which had been planted for us to follow, he taught me to suspect that too obvious evidence. He said if it's too easy, most of the time it's been planted to lead you somewhere the planter of that evidence wants you to go. Somehow, I feel like…this is too obvious Tani. Too easy." Junior said. "Think about it, if Detective Williams really wanted to hide evidence would he leave it in the trash in his house and …and just take off to Singapore…? I mean…" Junior said in exasperation. "It's just too easy, too simple, and for a Detective of his caliber…I don't believe he'd be that sloppy. I don't buy it."

"I don't know Jun, for the sake of objectivity let's say, you take the defense side and I'll take the prosecution side. Let's say he left in a hurry, probably. You saw his face at the crime scene, something went wrong when he saw that body, it was like at first he didn't recognize it, then only to be led out of the hotel by McGarrett looking like he had seen a ghost."

"Let's not forget this is someone he had met just two nights ago, and a murder so close to his friend's murder last week, an MO, slit throat. If that's not a message, then I don't know what is." Junior defended.

"Ok, ok, I'm just…trying to get my head straight. I mean, he did tell us to be objective when dealing with evidence and …I'm just trying to be a Detective here."

"Funny, you're being Danny and I'm being Steve. This is how they would be arguing over cases. God, this has just turned to shit! I can't believe…" Junior said.

"Yeah well, what are we going to do with this?" Tani said, indicating the shirt.

"I say let's show it to McGarrett."

"Super. And I wonder how objective he's going to be about this." Tani said as Junior started the car and proceeded back to HQ.

….

Back at HQ, Steve walked in with a directive for Jerry to track Danny's GPS.

Already done, no luck, it had been disabled.

"Ok. Ok ok ok." Steve was pacing, getting frantic. "His phone? Can you trace it?"

"No luck again. No signal whatsoever. It was completely disabled. Traffic cameras from about three hours ago on his car, still getting nothing. I don't understand…" Jerry said puzzled. Could be a coincidence, an unfortunate one or there was a very fine hacker behind this whole thing.

Steve's brain was getting scrambled, he couldn't think straight.

"Alright, alright…we need to get Rachel and the kids into protective custody, at least in the meantime until we get to the bottom of this. Where's Tani and Junior?" Steve asked.

"They were right behind us; they should be here in no time." Lou said. "Let me see about Rachel and the kids."

"Alright, but before you do, I think I need to give Rachel a heads up. Let her know what's happening. In case…In case it turns out really bad." Steve didn't want to imagine just how bad.

Tani and Junior walked in at that moment, but Steve did not stop pacing.

"Ok, let's review what we found guys. Other than the DNA and fingerprint we didn't have any other pointers, but with this Singapore one-way ticket, I'm thinking foul play. Someone wants Danny to take the fall for this so badly, and I wanna know who." Steve monologued.

"Uh about that Steve, I…" Tani didn't know if she should take Steve on a sidebar and show him the shirt or just bare it out in front of everyone. But everyone was already at the table working on trying to find and exonerate Danny. Everybody was concerned here, and it would be too awkward to be secretive about this now, excluding the others. Plus, she didn't know what this was really. Was she obstructing justice or was she helping?

"I…uh…I'm sorry but I found this in the trash, and I didn't think, I just hid it…I thought I'd show it to you first before HPD got to it." She said handing him the shirt.

Steve frowned in confusion, "Danny's shirt?"

"The one he was wearing yesterday if I remember correctly." Tani said

He was right, Steve recognize it too as the shirt Danny was wearing yesterday, so did everyone. They pretty much looked the same and Steve couldn't say that with definition but yeah, this was Danny's shirt. But really, it was like finding a pair of cargo pants in Steve's trash, automatically one would assume that they were Steve's, it didn't take a genius. But then again…could also be planted if someone new him well. But this was Danny's shirt, the one he had been wearing yesterday, no doubt.

"Ok, what about it?" Steve asked.

"It's missing a button." Tani said and Steve froze, putting two and two together, coming up with a gazillion answers but only one made sense. Steve examined the shirt and yep, a button was missing, and he didn't need to go to the evidence room to match that button to this shirt.

"And a blood stain on the sleeve." Tani finished.

Now the table was quiet, mixed thoughts bordering on doubt now, but no one would dare venture anything out loud.

"Ok, we need to find out whose blood that is." Steve said, and Jerry quickly took a sample. But Steve could almost bet that the sample would come back positive for their last vic's blood.

"Now look, this does not mean anything, it could very well have been planted." Lou said. "Say, Danny got home , took off his dirty work shirt like anyone else would, threw it in the laundry bin and changed into something fresh, meanwhile someone is watching and as soon and Danny goes to bed, they break in to steal the shirt and then conveniently put it back. Nice and solid framework. I know this sounds scary that Danny was being stalked and even more scary is the possibility of his whereabouts right now but…as far as this being evidence, well …" Lou said with a dismissive shrug. "…bogus."

Adam cleared his throat, "Yeah, and I'm gonna look for cameras, anything that can point to a stalker maybe. Unfortunately, the hotel cameras had been somehow disconnected, we think the killer did it, nothing to retrieve from there, but maybe Danny's place…"

"It doesn't have cameras. He said something about them being out of order a week ago. Even complained about the Hawaii Authorities being slack about repairing broken stuff." Steve said in a hoarse voice.

If they had cameras this would all be very easy, and they would have provided Danny with an alibi already. But the thing was, Danny didn't have an alibi, because he couldn't even remember where he had been last night, and Steve was the only one who knew about it. He was the only one who knew that Danny had been having black outs, the major kind. That he had batches of his memory he couldn't account for. The shirt, Danny had not told him about the shirt. Could be he forgot to mention it, could be he had noticed the button being bagged for evidence and didn't remember that he had lost a button on his shirt last night, or it could be he had deliberately left that little detail out.

Steve didn't know which was scarier. The possibility of a killer so intent on making Danny pay that he would so intricately frame him for two murders, stalking him like that and somehow able to erase his memory, or the possibility that Danny had somehow lied to him about this and deliberately left the button detail out. Which meant…what exactly?

Steve could feel the hole being dug wayyy too deep, the walls closing in. Either way, Danny was in serious trouble and they had to find him soon before it was too late.

…..

**See you in a bit.**


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7-unveiling.**

**Hey guys, here's another hope, i hope you like. Forgive the typos, i'm sure there are some.**

**...**

**I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud**

**...**

It had been four days already. Four days now since Danny had disappeared and no one had any idea where he had gone. He had been put on a no-fly list the moment that booked plane ticket to Singapore had been found, suffice to say, Danny couldn't have boarded any plane out of Hawaii. He was still somewhere on the Island and Steve had a bad feeling that Danny might not still be alive. If he were, he wouldn't have run. Steve could not believe Danny had run from this. He wouldn't, the Danny he knew would sooner turn himself in, if he was in his right mind that is. It was all so confusing. More evidence had turned up, they had found Danny's car yesterday, abandoned in the middle of the jungle in Waikiki. First clue that Danny had not driven his car all the way so deep in the jungle like that, Danny was not a 'jungle person', he said it himself all the time. Steve was trying to grasp at whatever straw he could find but it was really weak, to say the least. The first thing that Steve had thought of after he had found the booked plane ticket was that Danny was being framed, Meka had been framed the exact same way. The only person that Steve could think about who had an axe to grind with Danny and could pull up a frame job like this was Kaleo, the same guy who had framed Meka, but the guy was dead. He had died in a prison riot, the same riot that had almost killed Chin. The guy had spent a few days in hospital but eventually succumbed to the injuries sustained in that riot. So, rule-out Kaleo. Other than that, Steve had no other clue. Danny wasn't short on enemies, but the only one's Steve knew about where either dead or in prison. He really wished Danny were here to give him some clues, he was going crazy with worry. If this was the same frame job, then Danny was most likely dead. But who, really, could be doing this? Steve still maintained his stance on this being a frame job, even in the face of the glaring evidence, Danny just simply could not be the killer, no way. Steve had argued his case to the Governor, who clearly wasn't buying the frame theory, trying to convince Steve that he was in denial but eventually she relented and gave permission for Danny's family to be put in protective custody, to humor him, he'd bet, but he wasn't about to look a gift horse in the mouth. Steve would have hidden them somewhere himself if she had refused, but he didn't want to seem like he was trying to obstruct justice, he had already done a lot of that on this case so far.

Rachel was distraught, Steve had only told her that she and the kids were in danger, Danny was being framed and was also in danger somewhere, he had disappeared, most likely he had been kidnapped by whoever was doing this, thus putting it mildly. That was Steve's conviction. Rachel had enough to worry about with the possibility of Danny being in the hands of a killer right now, she didn't need to know that he was the main suspected in two murders. Grace and Charlie had been taken out of school to be with their mom in protective custody, at least until this whole this was over. They were given the same watered-down version that Steve had given to Rachel. It was when Rachel was being questioned by I.A, that the wheels clicked.

"Wait, you…you are not suggesting that Danny had anything to do with this, are you?" Rachel asked with alarm.

"Oh, what gave that away?" Mannex said in mockery.

"Just…the way you're saying it…I …"

"We're just trying to establish an alibi for him ma'am, that's all. Apparently, you're not his alibi because, like you have clearly stated, on both counts, with the time frame we are looking at, you were nowhere near Detective Williams." Mannex said, having put the nail in the coffin. Danny was toast.

"I…uh…wait, what…"

"Thank you for your time." Mannex said dismissively, jotting some final points in his notebook, standing up from the table.

The interview was over, and Rachel was left winded and confused. What the hell had just happened?

Steve came right on cue. He wished he had prepped her a little better. Maybe asked her to lie and provide Danny with an alibi? But he was getting way too deep obstructing whatever justice there was, he decided to let the chips fall where they may. A little bit.

"Rach, are you ok?" Steve asked.

"They are saying…Steve they are suggesting that he …that he…"

"It's just protocol Rachel. They have to establish an alibi for him…"

"Steve, what are you not telling me?" Rachel asked, tense, waiting for the worst news and so done with any kind of bullshit.

Steve sighed, he had to at least give her the full picture, it was going to come out anyway. He might as well prepare her. He took her aside, away from prying eyes and sat her in a chair to try and calm her down before he dropped the bombshell on her.

"Alright, here's the thing, the two victims were somehow connected to Danny like I told you, and I told you that it was likely the killer was gunning for him next or his family. And now that he has been missing for four whole days, it's more than likely." Steve explained.

"I know what you told me, but they seem to think that he is not a victim in all this." Rachel said, "He wouldn't do this. He would never!"

"I know, and I'm gonna find him and get to the bottom of this, ok?" Steve said reassuringly.

"All they have so far is circumstantial evidence, but whatever other evidence they come up with, I want you to know that I'll stand by my conviction that this whole this is a frame job and I'll get to the bottom of this if it's the last thing I do. I promise you." He didn't mention the sleep walking thing, didn't want to complicate things and put doubts into Rachel's mind by mentioning that Danny could be mentally unstable right now. For all he knew, Danny could be running around somewhere in the jungle right now, having gone full blown mental. For all he knew…

Steve remembered saying that to Rachel just three days ago. He didn't know if he was going to be able to keep that promise now, he wasn't too sure anymore. Every wall was coming down on him and he didn't have any straws to hang on to anymore. Not after the evidence that had turned up in Danny's car yesterday. They had stripped Danny's car together with CSU, HPD and I.A and more than enough evidence had come up to issue a hunt on Danny who was now officially the main suspect in this case. Fingerprints in the car were all Danny's and some of Steve. Thant wasn't much of anything other than to point out that Danny had driven his own car into the jungle or Steve, but of course Steve was here all the time. The main lead on the whole thing was the GPS on Danny's car, disabled and damaged deliberately; indication that he had been trying to cover his whereabouts. The evidence on that GPS was more than incriminating, especially as soon as Jerry could retrieve the data on the damaged GPS. The Camaro had been driven to the Hilton and then to Danny's house, the time frame matched time of Death of the last victim. It was like the final nail in the coffin. Danny's coffin. Five O had hunted down suspects on so much less.

And now, Steve had been summoned to the Governor's office and it wasn't to urge Five O to put their hundred percent effort into the case, quite the opposite.

"In light of the situation Commander, I'm going to have to ask Five O to take a backseat on this case and let I.A and the FBI to investigate." She said calmly, looking directly at Steve. And yes, it had gone Federal.

Steve moved forward in his chair to try and convey his earnestness as he pled with her.

"Governor, you don't understand…"

"I do Commander, I do understand all too well and I'm asking you not to interfere or hinder, in any way, this investigation." The Governor said sternly.

Steve scoffed, "You don't trust us to be impartial?"

"To be honest, if I were in your shoes Commander, I wouldn't be impartial. Hell, even now I'm trying not to be impartial because I know Detective Williams and even, I am prone to be biased. That is why I am taking these measures."

Steve understood. Hell, he was hiding evidence right now. Danny's shirt was hidden somewhere in his office so that the button couldn't be matched to it. By now, it wouldn't do much other than just pile on the ever-increasing stake of evidence, but until he could make sense of this, he wasn't about to put another nail in Danny's coffin. It seemed he was hiding too many nails in his closet already, he had not told anyone, not even his team, about Danny's time lapse memory loses. They had enough evidence as it were, and it was hard enough to try and stay on Danny's side without compounding on more evidence. He will deal with this himself and let it haunt him alone. Steve was drowning in evidence and he was just trying to keep his head above water.

"All I ask is to be part of the investigation. If it is justice you need, then it is justice we will bring. Justice for the victims and justice for Danny. There is just too much of this that is just too easy Governor and I'm just asking to be given the chance to turn every stone before you pass a verdict. There is a lot that is just not right…"

"What more is there Commander? The evidence is there."

"The evidence was cooked!" Steve said, with a little more vehemence than intended.

The Governor sighed in exasperation. "Ok, show me the cook and you'll have my ear. In the meantime, try to stay out of the way of the FBI. You may do your own investigation into this other theory on your own time and until you can bring me much more than a theory and a gut feeling, you are following the FBI's lead and helping them with everything they need. That's all Commander, you may go." The Governor said in dismissal.

Steve made his way out of the Governor's Residence, angry, feeling beat-down, the walls were closing in and he had nowhere to turn. He hit the roof of his truck in angry frustration before getting in. He slammed the car door and leaned back, trying to calm himself down, trying to think about a next move and coming up with none.

"Damn it Danny, where are you?!" He monologued angrily, slamming a fist on the wheel, he started the car and drove off.

A few miles out his phone rang. He took it out and looked at it, caller ID unknown.

He answered. "McGarett."

"Steve?" A hesitant voice on the other end said.

Steve froze, "Danny?"

...

See you in a bit.


	8. Chapter 8

**Recriminations Chp 8- Impossible Decisions.**

...

**Hey guys, thanks for the support. here's another one. i hope you like.**

**...**

**There is never a good time to make a hard decision.**

**...**

A few miles out his phone rang. He took it out and looked at it, caller ID unknown.

He answered. "McGarett."

"Steve?" A hesitant voice on the other end said.

Steve froze, "Danny?"

He would have slammed the brakes had the road not been such a busy road, instead he managed to get off the road and stop the car on the side way.

"Danny? Are you ok?" Steve asked anxiously, getting out of his truck to pace outside, trying to stay calm. "Where the hell are you?!"

"I don't…I don't know." Danny said, again in that same strange, disoriented voice.

Steve knew why, Danny was being held and God help him if they had hurt him in any way, he was going to…

He could not help but think of his farther being held at gun point by Victor Hesse.

But he was grateful that Danny was alive and not lying dead somewhere like Meka with his badge in his mouth. He was so grateful. He could work with this, he could negotiate.

"Who's with you Danny? Put them on the phone. Put the sofabitch on the phone!" Steve hissed. Another possibility he had not thought about came to mind. God, he hoped Danny was not going through all this because of something Steve had done, just like they did to his dad. Steve had many enemies too and getting to the people closest to him was one way of making him pay. Danny was like his closest brother and any of his enemies could easily use that against him.

"I'm alone Steve…I just…I don't…"

"You're alone? Are you sure?"

"Well, I'm sure I can tell if I'm alone or not Steven. I'm sure I'm capable of doing that little." Danny snapped.

Ok, so Danny was alone, or he would not have used that 'Danny' tone on him. He would have sounded different or given him a code of some kind to let him know he was being held hostage. Ok, that was good, at least that was one less thing to deal with.

"Where are you so I can come get you? Are you ok Buddy?" Steve asked, a bit calmer now.

"I don't know…I don't know."

"You don't know what Daniel? Where are you?"

"I said I don't know! Ok? Stop yelling at me. I…I just…I have no idea where I am." Danny said in that same confused voice full of despair. He really didn't know. He even sounded scared. Danny didn't scare easy.

Dear God, this was worse than he had thought, Danny had gone full on mental.

"Buddy look around you. What can you see? Huh? Tell me so I can come get you. Ok?" Steve said in that 'addressing a five-year-old' tone, or mental patient. Guaranteed to make Danny snap at him again if he were in his right mind. Steve waited for it.

"Ok, uh…looks like some kind of Motel, it's uh…"

Danny answered, no retort or snarky come-back, just another scared, hesitant and soo confused voice as the said the name of the Motel, probably reading it from somewhere.

No, Danny wasn't alright.

"Alright, alright, stay put ok? Wait for me, I'm coming to get you." Steve said reassuringly.

"Ok, just…come alone Steven…I…I don't know what's happening…"

"You got it; I'll be right there."

Steve got back into his truck and started driving to the location Danny had given him. He couldn't get there any faster. He was so relieved that Danny was alive but nothing was right about this. Well, maybe one, Danny was still breathing.

…..

Steve got to the location thirty minutes later. It wasn't that far but it really was a remote place, somewhere in the outskates of Waikiki. It was a dingy Motel, Steve figured it was mostly used by locals on their last dollar because no Tourist would settle for this crap. Yeah, maybe broke tourists or people on the run. Steve parked his Truck and rushed inside, not sure of what he was going to find in there but just the prospect of seeing Danny alive was enough. There was no one at the dirty, small reception area, figures. He went straight onto the small corridor to look for the room number Danny had given him. It wasn't much of a search really, the Motel probably had only about ten rooms total. He drew his gun a he neared the door, cautious, Danny might not be alone after all.

"Danny?"

Steve called; the door squeaked noisily as it opened slowly at Steve's push. There was no answer. Steve went in cautiously, taking in the dingy, small room in one sweep. There was a small bed at the far end against the wall, a desk on the opposite side with a chair and Danny was sitting in it, motionless, head bowed low.

Steve hastily put away his gun, rushing to Danny's side afraid that he had been too late, maybe Danny wasn't breathing after all, not anymore.

"Danny! Danny!" Steve yelled in panic, kneeling on Danny side, checking.

Danny looked up at him slowly and Steve realized a moment of relief at seeing that he was alive, but it was soon daunted by the look in Danny's eyes. That disoriented, terrified look in his eyes was not very reassuring.

"Hey, buddy. Are you ok? Huh? You alright?" Steve asked anxiously, checking the rest of him, that's when he noticed the blood and held his breath.

No. No No. There was blood on Danny's shirt, on his stomach. A lot of it.

"Are you bleeding? Is that blood? Huh? Are you hurt? Danny?" Steve could not stop asking questions which not receiving any answers so far. He started to frantically search for the wound, wanting to stop the bleeding, if he could. The blood there looked like Danny's stomach had been gutted open. He touched the blood; it didn't feel that fresh and it didn't seem like the wound was still bleeding. But he had to see the wound, had to do something, he had to rip the shirt and see what was going on, and maybe call for an ambulance if this turned out to be beyond something he could stop with a gauze.

"I'm ok, I'm ok." Danny said groggily, as if coming out of a stupor. "It's …it's not mine Steve. It's not my blood." Danny said, as if that was the worst thing that could ever happen, Steve begged to differ as h took another huge relieved breath. It wasn't Danny's blood. All that blood on him wasn't his, thank God!

But then who's blood was it?

Steve searched Danny's eyes and froze in apprehension. Danny looked scared, shaken, he looked so lost.

Steve swallowed, "Not yours? Not yours…what? What do you mean Danny? Talk to me buddy, what's going on?"

"I don't know Steve." Danny said with exasperation, bowing his head in his hands. "I don't know." He repeated in despair.

Ok, ok ok, let's…uh, let's start from the beginning. What happened…?" Steve tried to rationalize. This he could deal with, as long as it wasn't Danny bleeding to death, he could deal with this. Whatever this was.

"I've no idea." Danny said, looking back up at Steve, his eyes so lost and confused. "I don't remember anything. Steve, it's happening again." Danny appealed to Steve, with such fear in his eyes it made another knot of fear in Steve's stomach.

This was bad, this was really really bad.

"What do you remember Daniel? You must remember something." Steve asked in earnest.

"I just…I remember talking to you in the car yesterday, about…about the sleep walking thing and…and then I drove off?" Danny finished as a question.

"Yesterday? That was not yesterday Danny, that was four days ago. You've been missing for the past four days and I've been going out of my mind looking for you, not knowing if you were even still alive. How did you get here? What happened?"

"I don't know, that's what I'm trying to tell you. I've no idea. I just woke up on the floor in this room and …and I didn't feel quite right." Danny sighed. "I had blood on me, and I felt like I had the worst hangover ever. I couldn't find my phone, I got up and wondered outside, there was no one, not in any of the rooms, and no one at the Reception. That's when I used the phone at the Reception to call you. Steve, I…I think I might have killed someone." Danny said, more despair in his voice.

"No, no no no, don't say that, don't say that!" Even as Steve denied it, he knew it was a possibility given all that's been going on. He just didn't want to face that yet. "What makes you say that?"

"The evidence, Steve!" Danny said, exasperated. "Look at me." He said spreading his hands out, "I've got someone else's blood on me and I have no clue how it got there. It doesn't take a genius…"

"Maybe it should take a genius Danny. Ok, you're the one who said that sometimes not everything is what it seems, and I'll say this is one good case scenario." Steve insisted in denial. He stood up, pacing, he was way over his head with this, he needed help.

"Look, Steven I really appreciate your unfailing loyalty even in the face of all the glaring evidence, but I wouldn't blame you if you put the cuffs on me right now. In fact, I'm turning myself in." Danny said, putting his hands in firsts together In front of him for Steve to slap the cuffs on him.

Steve just stared at him, not knowing what to do.

...

**Sometimes the hardest thing and the right thing are the same thing. Or are they?**

see you in a bit.


	9. Chapter 9

**Recriminations Chapter 9- Found, still lost.**

**Hey guys, here's another one. I hope you like. Cheers!**

**...**

1) **I came to myself in a dark room where the straight way was lost.**

**...**

Steve smirked and dismissed him, "We need to retrace your steps. Find out what's really going on."

"You're not listening to me Steven, I think I killed those people. I think…I think I might have killed another one. I'm dangerous Steve. You need to take me in."

"No."

Steve said calmly, looking around the room for any signs of struggle, any kind of evidence to explain this. There was no dead body anywhere, not in the small room, not even under the bed or the small closet. There was no blood other than the blood on Danny. Then he walked towards the open window and his heart dropped. There were bloody fingerprints on the seals, and he would bet money that those fingerprints belonged to Danny. Maybe in his sleepwalking he had used the widow to get out or into the room.

"We need…uh…we need to retrace your steps, Danny." Steve could hear himself swallow with nerves. "You've got to remember something. Anything. Please." Steve pleaded desperately.

At Steve's tone Danny stood and walked to stand next to him at the window, looking at the bloody fingerprints.

"I did this." Danny said, with renewed despair.

"We don't know that! This whole thing could be a really cruel but very clever frame job. I'm gonna need to run these fingerprints and every fingerprint in this room. I'm gonna need to test your blood for drugs."

"Great, I'm a junkie too?"

Steve ignored him; his mind busy running possible scenarios. "I'm gonna need to take a look at those anxiety meds you've been have been taking." Steve was pacing again, cataloging everything he needed to do with his fingers. He was in operation mode now.

"Steve…"

"And I need you to take that bloody shirt off and bag it. Here, put this on." Steve said, taking off the shirt he was wearing on top of his T-shirt and threw it at Danny. I need you to come with me, retrace your steps and try to remember something. Anything Danny. Please." Steve said. "And I need to make a call."

He took out his phone and walked out of the room, his mind spinning. The Reception was still deserted. Hell, the whole place was a ghost town and Steve was starting to think that maybe the Receptionist was the victim they were looking for.

He dialed the number.

"Hey Lou. Can you talk?" Steve said, as soon as the phone was answered.

Lou hesitated, "Hold on just a sec mom." Lou said on the other end and Steve afforded a smirk. Lou could really take this inconspicuous Under-cover thing a little too seriously.

"Alright Steve, you can talk now. What's going on man? We've been looking for you and your phone was off. You went dark on us at a time like this man, and I gotta tell ya', we were worried. I mean, Danny's missing, and you go missing too…?"

"Lou, can I talk now?" Steve could swear sometimes between Lou and Danny he really didn't know who talked more.

"Please." Lou said, giving him the floor.

"I found Danny."

There was a pause on the other end, "He…he alive?" Lou asked hesitantly.

"He's alive."

"Oh, thank God!"

"Listen Lou, he's physically ok but he's… he's in pretty bad shape."

"What do you need?"

"I need…" Steve spun on his heel and raked his hand through his hair in exasperation. He needed for this to be over. He needed to go back to two weeks ago when everything was normal, and his best friend was not a possible serial killer whom he might have to put cuffs on and send to prison or an asylum for the rest of his life.

"I need you to get some fingerprints match for me. I'll send you a photo. I also need to send you two blood samples; one is Danny's and I need you to have Noelani test it for drugs…"

"Drugs?"

"And the second one…the second one, I'll need you to find out…cross check it with any of our victims and get me an ID."

"Steve what the hell is going on?"

"Oh yeah, and I need you to get all of the medicine and drugs from Danny's drug cabinet. I don't care if it's Penicillin or Charlie's Paracetamol. I want it all bagged and tested."

"Steve."

"And the Doctor, Danny's Doctor, I'll send you his name. I'm gonna need to talk to that guy and I don't care if you kidnap him or arrest him on whatever charges, he needs to answer some questions."

"Steve!" Lou had to yell; Steve was spinning out of control over the phone.

"What?!"

"You need to tell me what the hell is going on." Lou said with emphasis.

Steve sighed with clear disappear that could be heard on the other end of the phone.

"I think…I think Danny's being drugged…or…"

"Or?"

"Or he's losing his mind." Steve said with a lump foaming in his throat. "I need this Lou. I need your help. Danny needs your help."

"You've got it. You've both got it. We're on this now. You take care of our boy, ok? We'll find the evidence we need, we'll prove his innocence, ok? Danny's not a crazy serial killer, and we'll prove it." Lou said with conviction.

"Thanks Lou."

"What's Ohana for?" Lou said before Steve cut off the line.

Steve sighed and leaned on his truck for a moment. Ok, now what? Where to start?

…

Steve went back into the Motel room and found Danny still seated in his chair, now wearing Steve's clean shirt, the bloody one bundled in his hand. Steve took the shirt and walked out of the room again to his car with Danny now in tow, not exchanging words.

"Oh, so you're just not gonna talk to me now?" Danny said, following Steve to his truck.

Steve opened the door and looked for a plastic bag, finding it, he bagged the shirt and hid it under the seat. Then he turned to Danny.

Danny was looking at him with a dismayed, smock smile.

"So, you've decided not to talk to a serial killer anymore?" Danny said again, with a self-deprecating smile.

Steve slammed the truck door shut and walked away from the truck; Danny still followed behind.

"Steve…"

Steve turned on him sharply. "I need you to focus. I need you to try…"

"I told you I can't remember Steven! What do you want me to do? Bang my head open so you can look through the brain matter and find some clues? You've got a clue Steve. The evidence is all around you!"

"Shut up Daniel! I need you to take this a little bit more seriously…"

"A little bit more seriously. Are you serious right now…?!"

"This," Steve said, spreading his arms indicating the expanse of the whole area including the Motel, "…this is our starting point. I want you to focus and try to remember anything, anything at all that you can about this place, ok?" Steve was not entertaining any other thoughts or suggestions right now; he wasn't open to reason.

Danny could now see Steve's agitation and just nodded, understanding that if the shoe were on the other foot he would probably be spiraling out of control by now, shaking Steve into cooperation. Or given him a good beating to set his head straight.

"Ok, ok, I'll try." Danny said, placating. One would think he was the one trying to calm down a mental patient, touché. Truth was, Danny was freaking out! Fear clawing at his insides he could hardly breathe through the dread of finally finding out what he had done, again.

"Good." Steve said, finally calming a bit. "We need to find the body; it would not be too far away from here." Steve said, walking further away, looking for clues, blood, drag marks, anything that could lead them to a body or a clue.

"It's the Receptionist, isn't it? I killed the Receptionist. My God." Danny said, spiraling more and more into despair.

"Listen to me, until we have real evidence, concrete evidence…"

"Like a video tape?" Danny said with sarcasm.

"Like that, yes, we're not going to rule out foul play on this one."

"Well, good luck with that in a place like this, of course they would have Cameras! Have you seen this place?! Steven, I've been having memory loses. Times I can't account for and I'm waking up with someone else's blood on my shirt. You're a cop, come on!"

"Someone's trying to bury you, Daniel! Ok, you've got enemies Danny. Kidnap-your-daughter-for-revenge type of enemies. Shoot-you-then-shoot-themselves-dead type of enemies! God only knows how many others are out there with enough venom and patience to execute something like this. God only knows how you acquired so many lethal enemies, and I'm supposed to be the SEAL!" Steve berated.

"Oh, please, are we counting enemies, Steven? Like the one who killed your Dad, type of enemies? Sorry to mention that one. How about, Wo fat? How many times did he try to kill you, again? Sorry to mention that one again, I know he's a sore spot. Oh, how about the gang that killed Joe going after you? Again, I keep mentioning the sensitive ones, sorry about that. Should I go on?" Danny was on a roll.

"Ok ok, we're done keeping count, let's focus." Steve conceded with a reluctant smirk. "Body. We need to find a body."

They went around the Motel looking and arguing about everything and anything. They went into the Motel, still nothing, no drag marks, no blood anywhere until Steve went and looked behind the counter of the reception desk and there it was. There Receptionist stashed under the open compartment inside the big receptionist desk, very much dead, with the murder weapon right next to him. And Steve didn't want to know whose fingerprints were on that bloody knife. He could shout himself mute that this was too easy. The evidence was too available, too obvious, but who would hear him? This was clearly a well-orchestrated frame job! Or would a mentally unstable, sleepwalking killer know how to hide evidence well? Considering the trance-like state he would most likely be in? The type that would have him wake up with no clue of what he had done previous night? O where he has been for the last four whole days?

...

**See you in a little bit.**


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10- Taking sides.**

**Hey guys, here's another one. I hope you like and review. A song to go with it.**

**...**

**I won't pretend**  
**That we can control the night**  
**Or what kind of road we're on**  
**Or where we will see the light**  
**But right now I'm talking to ya**  
**I'm looking into your eyes**  
**Right now I'm trying to show ya**  
**That we're gonna be alright**

**Oh I don't know**  
**What's around the bend**  
**Oh, all I know**  
**Is that my love,**  
**It knows no end- Need to breathe, forever on your side.**

**...**

Danny's heart dropped as he looked at Steve's bowed head, bowed in utter dejection which he could not mask even for Danny's benefit like he had been doing all along, and Danny knew why. Steve had found the body. He was now swatted down behind the reception desk, unable to look Danny in the eye.

Danny still went around to look, and yes, it was the receptionist, no doubt. He didn't recognize the young guy, didn't think he had interacted with him at any time, of course he couldn't remember, so that was a moot point. The point was, he had done this. He had killed this young guy who looked to be just above his teens, now sporting a slit throat, just like the others. What reason would he have had to kill such a young man? He didn't need a reason; he was a serial killer. Apparently, he killed anything that walks.

Steve looked up at Danny and watched the emotions play on his face, the sick feeling he had in his stomach was mirrored on Danny's face.

"Danny."

"No, Steven. No!" Danny hissed and turned to walk out of the building.

Danny could not even see where he was going, all he knew was he had to get out of there, away from everything. This was not happening. God, this was not happening. He staggered to a nearby shrub just outside the building, bent over it and hurled.

Steve gave him his space, following slowly, just keeping a close eye. The guy needed to process all this. God only knew how he was feeling right now. One moment you're a normal human being the next you're discovering that you've been killing people and have no memory of it. Steve felt like he could hurl too, but he was supposed to have Danny's back, right now more than any other time.

Danny finished throwing up then walked a few steps away. His legs too heavy to walk any further, he sat down on the ground, sitting with his head buried between his knees, utterly dejected.

Steve walked up to him now, swatting next to him. Danny didn't look up at him.

"Danny?" Steve called tentatively, putting his hand out on Danny shoulder. Danny flinched away.

"Come on brother, don't push me away now. Please." Steve pleaded.

"What I don't understand Steven," Danny said, looking up abruptly, "is why you haven't put the cuffs on me by now. Huh? You have your suspect, what are you waiting for?"

"Danny," Steve tried to reason, "until I have enough…"

"Enough what? Evidence?" Danny scoffed. "You've got three bodies left in my wake, you've got finger prints and DNA by now I'm sure, and, wait for the highlight, you've got me! Wacko, roaming around at a Motel whose only occupant, other than myself, is the receptionist, now dead behind his counter. Smoke enough for you, Steven?!" Danny said in angry exasperation.

Steve was no less angry himself. Angry with the whole situation, angry with himself for not being able to figure this out, angry with Danny for forcing him to look at the glaring evidence and not giving him a chance to find another angle to this thing.

"Danny, will you stop being so stubborn and blinkered and start looking at this another way."

"What other way? What other way is there Steve?" Danny sighed, "Look, I love you for this bro, I do. And I really appreciate you being in my corner nonmatter what, even in the face of your own doubt…"

"Doubt, you're the one whose got doubt…"

"It's all over your face Steven. Alright? You forget I can read you like a book and even if you were on the other side of a phone right now and I couldn't see your face, I'd be able to hear the doubt in your voice because you my friend have got a face and you've got a tone. And it's a really unfortunate thing that I can read all that on you right now."

"What do you want from me Daniel? I'm trying…"

"I know you're trying and so much more than anyone in the face of all this glaring evidence. You're believing in me more than I'm believing in myself right now. It's commendable and I'm touched, but denial is not going to solve anything…"

"What do you want me to do? Huh? Just put the cuffs on you and serve you to the sharks?"

"What other solution do you have Steven? I'm a lunatic! And not only that, I'm going around killing people!"

"Daniel…"

"I belong in prison Steve. Or at the very least in a loony bin." Danny insisted.

"I need you to focus, ok? There are a lot of questions that I'm gonna need you to answer with a lot more than the usual 'I don't remember,' and until then, until I get your full version of this and the results on your blood come back negative of drugs, we've got no evidence." Steve said, getting up, taking angry stride back to the building.

Danny was right behind him.

"Steve, come on. Call someone, please. Call Lou, maybe he'll help you get your head on straight."

"Oh, so I'm the one not thinking straight here? I thought you were the one gone wacko."

"I may have to revise that given the way you're behaving right now." Danny said, lightly. "Listen, I know this is hard on you but it's gotta be done. Call the FBI, anyone, if you're not able to arrest me."

Steve turned sharply on his heel.

"Danny, I'm not calling the FBI on you, ok? Lou and team are busy trying to find evidence to explain this whole thing and to exonerate you. You're the only one who can't wait to go to prison. Tell me, why is that?" Steve asked in confusion t Danny.

"Because I'm dangerous Steven. I can't be anywhere near my family in this state. I should not even be here with you alone. I'm a crazy serial killer, aren't you scared?"

"I'm a Navy SEAL." Steve dead panned.

"Ha! Like that's gonna protect you from serial killer me." Danny mocked.

"Oh, I've faced worse killers than you Danno, trust me."

"So, you admit I'm a killer then." Danny said.

Steve shrugged. "Just going with what you want Danny. I didn't say it, you did."

"Then arrest me!"

"Not gonna happen."

"Steve, I'm not supposed to be here. I should be locked up, so I won't be harmful to anyone else." Danny pleaded.

"What you need is to focus and try and remember anything, anything at all that can help us, like how you got here for example. You didn't drive here, you trashed your car and left it somewhere in the bush. Do you remember that?" Steve looked for a response to the news that Danny's beloved car had been trashed. Nothing. "And we're gonna wait for your blood results to come back and this is about the safest place I can think of to lay low."

"With a dead body behind the counter?" Danny asked incredulously.

"With a dead body behind the counter." Steve affirmed. "Look at it this way, if you're the serial killer you so readily claim to be then it shouldn't bother you too much."

"So, were sleeping here?" Danny said with distaste.

"Got any better ideas?"

"Jail would be another option."

"We're staying here. I'm gonna keep watch and see if you turn into a vampire at night. Until then, we're not even talking about prison." Steve said with a final note.

Danny smirked resignedly. "You gonna watch me sleep?"

"If that's what it takes."

"Creepy."

"Says the serial killer." Steve said walking back into the building.

...

Further search of Danny's house had yielded nothing new, maybe a shoe print or two of a size or so bigger than Danny's. Could be Steve's, could be Lou's, could be anyone of them really, the FBI, HPD, it really wasn't much to go on, they were grabbing at straws.

"Any luck with the drug cabinet?" Lou asked Noelani as she was busy bagging whatever drugs and medicines she could find in Danny's Cabinet.

Noelani shrugged, "Nothing interesting, just your normal penicillin, a number of pain killers, over the counter type, some ibuprofen, Paracet' and… oh, some Ativan. The only interesting anything in this drug cabinet.

"What's that now?" Lou asked with renewed interest and curiosity.

"Oh, it's standard issue anxiety medication. Do you know Danny to have some PTSD of some sort, reason why he would need this?" She asked.

"Well, no, but Danny's been to a therapy session or two after Grace's accident. I'm sure this is part of the treatment." Lou said with new disinterest and a tinge of hopelessness.

"Yeah well, we're gonna have to test these for anything unusual, if we're suspecting foul play that is." Noelani said.

"That's exactly what we are suspecting." Lou said with emphasis.

"I don't know, we'll know more when the blood results come back, I guess. How far are we on that by the way?" Noelani asked.

"Adam has gone to collect the samples from Steve, then he's gonna take them to Erick for testing. I guess all we can do now is wait and pray." Lou said.

"Oh, ok." Noelan said thoughtfully. "Are you sure that's a good idea though? I mean for Erick to run the test on the blood. Given his position in all this, he is Danny's nephew after all, doesn't that compromise him?"

"I guess we're all compromised Noelani. Ohana is just as strong as any blood and when any one of us in in trouble, we stand together. Erick is no more compromised that we all are, we've been compromised from the get-go. It's family, that's how bad it gets."

"I get it." Noelani said, "Well, I'm gonna go test these and see how they compare with whatever Eric finds."

"Thanks, Noelani." Lou said

"Hey, how are you gonna test these? Easier to just chew one and see if they taste the same as the real thing?" Jerry said.

Noelani laughed, "Not unless you wanna get high on the job Jerry."

...

**Ok, see you in a bit. I hope.**


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11- **

**Hey guys, thank you so much for the reviews and support, it's really appreciated. Sorry to take so long to update, life got a bit busy. Anyhoo, here's another, i hope you like and review. Cheers.**

**I won't pretend**  
**That we can control the night**  
**Or what kind of road we're on**  
**Or where we will see the light**  
**But right now I'm talking to ya**  
**I'm looking into your eyes**  
**Right now I'm trying to show ya**  
**That we're gonna be alright- need to breathe (forever on your side)**

...

Adam parked his car next to Steve's truck when he got to the Motel, it looked deserted, so he went inside and straight to the room Steve had told him they were in. He could sense the tense atmosphere of a serious interrogation going on. Danny was sitting with his head in his hands and Steve was sitting forward in his chair, a tense look on his face. They both looked up as Adam entered.

"Adam, thanks for coming in bro." Steve said, standing up to greet Adam.

"Anytime man." Adam said then concentrated on Danny who was now standing to greet him too. He had this haggard look on him, looked like he had aged in the last four days since Adam had last seen him. The weariness of the whole situation was so clear in his features. Adam went in for a hug and Danny hugged him back.

"Hey bro. How're you holding up?" Adam said in concern.

"I'm trying bro, feel like my head is spinning. I have no idea which way is up anymore." Danny said to Adam. "Thanks for all you guys are doing for me but I do hope you're here to turn me in. There's another body behind the counter and still this lunatic is refusing to have me locked up." Danny said to Adam, indicating Steve.

Adam let the irony pass. He looked at Steve questioningly and Steve just nodded in affirmation. Ok, he kind of understood why.

Adam just looked at Danny with a smirk. "No, sorry bro. I'm just here to draw your blood so we can go test it for drugs. Hopefully we'll get something that will clear this whole thing up." Adam said.

Danny just nodded with a grimace, sitting back down and letting Adam draw a little of his blood into a syringe.

"Please tell me you brought some food with you Adam. I literary don't remember when last I ate." Danny said lightly. "This Neanderthal just rushed here with no thought at all about bringing me food. But to be honest, at that time I don't think I'd have been able to stomach anything. Now I think I need to eat something."

"I wouldn't be surprised if you last ate four days ago Danny." Steve quipped.

Adam just smiled, "You know, the thought did hit me. I'm sure Steve hasn't eaten anything since morning and you…well like you said…no idea when last you ate. So, I managed to add something to Steve's list of orders. I brought Pizza guys." Adam said, to the guys' grateful grants. "With pineapple, best Pizza I've ever tasted."

Steve laughed and Danny let his head fall down between his now dejected shoulders and sighed in despair.

"Just what I would expect. I mean, what else could go wrong? I just didn't think Pizza too." Danny lamented. "I might as well just starve to death, could be the simplest solution to this whole thing anyway. Because I tell you one thing, I'm not gonna punish myself with such an abomination like pineapple on Pizza, not happening! Why don't you just kill me!"

Steve and Adam exchanged looks and laughed.

"Alright, I'm done here." Adam said. "I better rush this to the lab, time is of the essence. Don't worry Danny, I remembered your aversion to pineapple. I brought you a good one, no pineapple or fruit of any kind."

Danny sighed with relief, "Good looking out bro. But don't ever play with a man's sanity like that. Mine's already questionable as it is." Danny said, with dry humor.

Adam patted him on the shoulder as a goodbye, "I got you bro. I got your back." He said with a lot more meaning than about Pizza. "We all do. Just hang in there."

"Thanks bro. Say thanks to the rest of the team for me. I know you guys are sticking out your necks for me and I really appreciate it. I hope you're all right and I don't turn up to be a serial killer. That's all I need to know." Danny said.

Adam nodded in understanding.

"We gotta go too Danny. Come-on, we're leaving." Steve said.

"To where?" Danny asked puzzled. "I thought you said we were gonna camp here with the corpse."

"Couldn't do that to you D. Your mental health has been tested enough already. We'll go anywhere that's not a crime scene." Steve said, "Current crime scene that is." He amended, seeing as they were going to be camping out at a former Yakuza hide-out Warehouse. Enough said.

They all walked out of the room, making sure that they didn't leave any traces of themselves. As for Danny's prints, very little they could do about those, but they could try by wiping whatever they could. Steve knew it was futile because he supposed Danny's fingerprints would be deliberately pasted everywhere by whoever was doing this, leaving nothing to chance. They could never wipe all of them out.

Danny walked ahead to Steve's truck while Steve walked with Adam to his car.

"You got everything I asked for?" Steve asked Adam.

"Yeah, fresh clothes, at least a Week's supply of food, although I hope this doesn't take that long." Adam said. He gave Steve keys to the Yakuza hideout warehouse he was sure was unoccupied at the moment. Adam had a lot of these backdoor connections which Steve was really finding handy at the moment.

"I hope not too. I just want this to be over already. Let's find the culprit who's behind this." Steve said.

"I hear you." Adam said then looked seriously towards Steve's truck "Is he ok?"

Steve took a moment to answer, considering the question carefully then he sighed. "No, he's not ok. Far from it." He said finally.

Adam nodded in understanding.

"Ok, we better get moving so you can call this in. You got your story, right?" Steve asked.

"Yeah, I got this. You guys can go." Adam said, already thinking of how he was going to cover Steve's truck tracks and deny ever seeing either of them at the scene.

Steve walked off to join Danny in the truck and in a few minutes, drove off.

…..

Steve watched Danny gobble his Pizza hungrily in the car as they drove, he must have gone for days without food for sure. They still had a long way to go but they had traveled some distance now and had not had a chance to talk since Danny was busy eating like his like depended on it. Or was that a way of avoiding having to answer any more questions from Steve?

"Who's the animal now? You must have been hungry Danno." Steve teased lightly.

"Try starving, man it must have been days. Adam just saved my life. Though he could have made it a beer instead of a soda, you know." Danny said lightly.

"He must have thought you had enough intoxication to deal with at the moment." Steve quipped.

"Yeah well, I don't think a beer or two could make me kill more people, do you?"

Steve saw his opening there, "So, you didn't answer my question when Adam walked in. About the shirt."

Danny grimaced visibly, "Aww Steven, we're not still on that, are we?"

"We never got off it. I just wanna know if you knew about it. We found your shirt in the trash with blood on it and a missing button. You would have noticed that when you took it off to bath and go to work that morning, I called you, right?" Steve persisted.

"What are you trying to say Steven? That I…. hell, i don't even remember anything of that night. I probably did kill that girl, who knows? But I would not try and hide evidence in the trash, and I can pretty much say that I had come to my senses that morning. I would know by then how to hide evidence, I'm sure. Don't ask me anything else I don't know Steven. I know that I didn't book any plane ticket to Singapore! For goodness sake, another Island?"

"That's what I said." Steve said, "But I guess what I'm really asking is, did you know about the missing button and didn't tell me about it?"

A bit of an awkward, tense silence.

"Yeah, I thought I might tell my seamstress instead Steve. I didn't know you were so keen on my wardrobe." Danny snarked.

"Danny." Steve said in serious warning. "I know you know what I'm talking about here and now I know that you knew about it at the time of our talk because you're being all snarky and avoiding the question, for no reason. You forget I now your tells buddy. What I would want to know though is why. Why would you not tell me about it Danny? What, didn't you trust me? You thought I would turn and put cuffs on you and hand you over to HPD for processing? Huh? Tell me. Try and make me understand your thought process here, because I don't get it and it's driving me nuts."

Danny sighed and leaned back in his seat in defeat. "I didn't tell you because I knew you would be doing what you're doing now. The whole team in a mess because of me, trying to hide evidence. I also didn't tell you because…well, I chickened out. I was a bit of a coward at that moment, when everything hit me all at once. I felt ashamed and didn't want to see that look of horror on your face. There! I said it. Can you just drive now, in silence?"

Steve pondered the explanation and it made sense. Made better sense than the one he had come up with himself. That Danny hadn't trusted him to have his back no matter what. He felt better about this explanation, understandable.

Steve couldn't find a comeback to that so they both just lapsed into a comfortable silence. Other than Danny's anxious questions about how Rachel and his kids were taking all this and Steve's reassurances, it was mostly silence, both lost in their own thoughts. They drove for a steady two hours, no rants or snarky comments from Danny, which made for better concentration. He was interrupted by a phone call from Lou.

He answered the call on speaker. "Hey Lou. You got something for me?"

"Very little bro. Is Danny with you?"

"I'm here Lou. How's it going?" Danny answered.

Lou's audible deep sigh could be heard over the phone. "Man, it's so good to hear your voice. What the hell?! You had us worried sick Danny. How could you just take off like that?"

"Sorry Lou. In case you haven heard yet, I've kinda gone nuts. I don't know where I've been for the past…I don't know how many days now." Danny said lightly.

"Man, don't joke like that. Are you alright?"

"Well, apart from my questionable mental health, I seem to be in one piece."

"That's good to hear. Listen, after this latest crime scene, the FBI will be hot on our tails. So, be sure to check in occasionally Steve, or they will become even more suspicious."

"Got it. What did you get on the crime scene?" Steve said.

"Same as you would expect with this case. Danny's fingerprints all over the murder weapon and the victim. Didn't expect much less." Lou said.

"Gee, thanks Lou. Apparently, I'm a lousy criminal as well." Danny said.

"That's just the point. You wouldn't be this lousy, leaving evidence all over the place like that." Lou said.

"Maybe if I were in my right mind I wouldn't."

"Oh, and speaking of your mental health. Could be good news could be bad, I don't know at this point but…" Lou said.

"But what Lou? You found something?" Steve asked anxiously.

"Indeed, we did. Eric found some traces of some sort of sedative in your blood and a bunch of other drugs I can't even pronounce. Noelani found the same stuff in your Ativan anxiety drug. Turns out it wasn't what it was supposed to be. This one had all sorts of narcotics man, even some sort of heavy anesthesia, cocaine you name it in one well-crafted pill."

Steve sighed with relief. Great. This was looking up.

"Thanks Lou, that's a great find. Look into Doctor Richardson…"

"Oh, please leave the dear old man alone. He would never harm anybody. He's been my doctor for years Steven, treated me from the minutest headaches to dislocated kneecaps. Don't harass my doctor for this," Danny complained.

"Too late Danny, we had to look at every angle and let's just say we did have a little chat with dear Doctor Richardson." Lou said. "I'm sorry to say that he's clean, he didn't do this. That means we got no clue as to who did. But we won't stop looking" Lou said.

"Great, thanks Lou. Keep us posted if you get anything new." Steve said resignedly.

"You got it. Take care boys. Be careful out there." Lou said before hanging up.

"Well, at least that's some great news. Huh Danno?"

"What? That I'm committing murders while I'm high on something possibly lethal?" Danny dead panned.

"Oh, come on, why do you have to be so sour about everything? This is something concrete at least. Now we know you were being drugged. What's left is to find out who's behind this. No small task I bet but a move forward, you've gotta admit." Steve said with renewed enthusiasm.

"Yeah well, I guess you're right. I wish I could share your enthusiasm right now but all I got from that phone call is that I'm a very dangerous person when I'm high. Forgot however slipped me the drug, I have murdered people."

"We don't know that yet and if you would stop being so…" Steve paused, focusing ahead. There was a lot of activity ahead of them, a lot of traffic filtering in too slow.

"Shit! Roadblock. Damn it!" Steve cursed. "Go to the back, get to the back now." Steve said urgently to Danny.

Danny didn't wait to be told twice, he had already jumped to the back-passenger seats and laid low. They were approaching the roadblock very fast.

As expected, they were stopped, and Steve pulled over.

"Good day officer." Steve greeted. He didn't want the eager young cop taking a peep in the backseat. So, he got out the car and slammed the door shut.

"Good day Sir." The officer said politely, a young one, probably a rookie. Could be good, could be bad.

"Do you mind telling me why you've pulled me over Officer?" Steve asked, deliberately touching his badge with was attached to his belt and exposed for all to see.

"Yeah, just a random search…"

"For?"

"Uh…we have a fugitive serial killer on the run…"

"Well, if you don't mind, that's the same killer I'm going after so I cannot wait and chit chat with you. I'm Commander Steve McGarrett with Five O." Steve said, pulling rank.

The rookie merely glanced at the badge. "I understand that Sir, but the directive was that every car should be searched. Doesn't matter who's it is Sir, with all due respect."

Ok, bad. Very bad. Rookies could be bad like that. They didn't have the authority to go against orders no matter how much fear you put into them. They just call a superior.

"Who's your superior officer…" He said, reading the tag, "…Officer Bucks? I want you to understand that I'm just coming from that crime scene right now and every second more I lose on this suspect is a second I cannot afford to lose. Do you understand me?" The ruckus was causing other officer to gather around, none of the faces he knew, none knew him. They were a long way out of HPD's familiar territory.

Steve pulled out his phone, "In fact, I'll call the Governor right now, and I want your badge numbers. All of you." Steve thundered, making to dial a number on his phone.

One older looking officer finally spoke up, must be the Superior.

"It's alright Commander. Sorry to delay you, you may go." The officer with show of sincere regret.

Steve didn't waste time; he just got back in his truck and drove off. Glad to be out of that neat little fix.

…..

Ok, see you in a bit. i hope.


	12. Chapter 12

**Recrimination Chp 12**

**Hey guys, here's another shot one. I hope you like. Cheers.**

**...**

The FBI Agent put down his phone with a satisfied smirk on his face, he was so done with five-0's meddling and this will take care of it once and for all. And then some. Talk about serious jail time, for each and every one of them. After that phone call, the Governor had no choice, unless if she was willing to be so blatant with her favoritism that she would risk being branded a hypocrite. Agent Nelson, head of this ongoing investigation, had pleaded his case well and had even provided evidence of five-o meddling in the investigation, too much evidence. He had wanted to get five-0 off his back, having them meddling and running around as if they still ran this show irritated him to no end, but McGarrett had proved to be unbending. He had been a thorn in his flesh and Nelson didn't like it much when people didn't follow orders. Williams was toast, not much anyone could do about that, they only had to catch him. It was really McGarrett he wanted to take down and having the duo in jail would be The Catch of the year. He could not believe his luck when rummaging through McGarrett's office he had found a bunched-up shirt, stuck right at the back of a desk drawer, so hidden that no one would find it unless they knew what they were looking for. Hiding evidence to impede justice? McGarrette,really? Now, Nelson had been like a hound, going after whatever little evidence he could get to have five-0 dismissed from the case, because they were sure messing with evidence, of that he knew. What he didn't have was evidence and going to the Governor with anything less would just make him look like a cry baby crying for his stolen toy, alleged stolen toy. One that any parent, at least his own parents, would hardly pay any mind to, especially if they had a favorite son. Nothing but hard evidence would compel them to administer justice, even then, it would still be hard, so the evidence had to be tight. His childhood had taught him that, and he was glad this time around his parent had no choice but to choose the least favorite son. Nelson didn't care much about being a favorite, just as long as he won. And this time, he was salivating at the kind of win he had on his hands, it was a big win.

He had stayed behind, preferring to send his partner instead to the latest murder case at some lodge. Actually, feigning a headache, couldn't stand being in direct contact with the Hawaiian sun at the moment. What else was he going to find there other than another body that Williams had yet again sliced, Five 0 running around trying to cover evidence and McGarrette trying to pull rank? In the opposite direction, of course. No, he'd rather stay behind, there was much to be done here especially while the whole five 0 was out at that murder scene, busy impeding an ongoing investigation. That weird guy Jerry or something was busy in his basement; yes, the basement. God only knew what he was doing down there but Nelson couldn't care less, the guy was a bit of an eccentric anyway, no wonder his office was in the basement. No doubt he had requested for it, away from people, weirdos worked better in solitude. Which was great for him, with Jerry busy typing away in his basement, or whatever technical hacks he was pulling, Nelson was practically home alone. So, he had gone on a hunt, starting with Mcgarrette's office. He would not rest until he found something to incriminate Mcgarrette. The rest he could deal with but Mcgarrett had to go.

The office was clean, but he knew better than to take anything at face value. He knew exactly where to start, he didn't know what he was looking for, he would know when he found it. But it was here. He let his sometimes keenness for the job, which was often mistaken for obsession, unhealthy obsession some would say, take over. He could just smell the evidence; he knew he would not get out of this office without it. He started with secret safes, because everybody had them. Like behind the framed medals, the unnecessary wall hangings. Oh, like that 'ship on a raging sea' painting. What was with all that abominable niceness? Sentiment? Nelson scoffed. No way, there was a secret behind that stupid painting, and he will find it.

He walked with a slow, measured step, his eyes never leaving the painting, as if he was about catch a fly and he didn't want to rattle it if he moved too briskly, or normally, for that matter. He got to the painting, stared at it for a moment and then with the abruptness of a predator finally taking the killing jump after its prey, he yanked the painting from the wall.

Nothing.

There was just a wall. No no no, there had to be something here. He put his hands on the wall, searching for a secret passage of some sort, a door into something. He checked himself from punching the wall with the sudden ferocious rage he felt at that moment for failing to find a safe in that wall. He hated to be wrong and at times like that he could almost lose the hold on his tempter, almost. But he had learned from a young age to get a hold of his feelings or he would have found himself in an Institution, at least that's what his parents had been contemplating, after he had killed Mr Huges, the family dog. The dog had failed to understand him, and he hated- Hated it when things failed to understand him. But after that one psychiatry session he had learned how to keep himself in check. Though he might sometimes cause damage to inanimate things, in private, he never let anyone catch him losing his tempter. He had decided to put his dogged style of doing things to better use, he was the most brilliant Agent this side of the country and he never lost a case. His colleagues called him the hound, and rightly so.

Now, he refused to give up just because the wall hadn't produced a safe. He'll find it somewhere else; he will find something. Clever of McGrrette to not have a secret safe in here, it only meant he was a much cleverer psychopath. Everyone was a psychopath deep down, and the most dangerous ones tended to give a picture of having nothing to hide. Everybody had something to hide, and he will find McGarrett's!

Having gone through every corner of the room finding nothing, through the desk drawers and finding only odd paper and random cases, nelson was about to lose his mind. Then somehow, something caught at the bottom drawer just as he was about to close it with resignation.

Hold on a second, he stilled for a moment then with strength ripped the drawer off the desk. And there it was, in plain sight, his evidence. Not just any evidence, THE Evidence. The same evidence that was going to have the Judge lock up Danny Williams and throw away the keys. And Mcgarrette wasn't getting a better deal, Nelson will make damn sure of it.

With a dramatic lassitude disguising a fiercely controlled effervescence, Nelson knelt down to the ground and grabbed the shirt, unwrapping the shirt, the confirmation evidence he now held in his hand threatening to overwhelm him. A button was missing, same button he was willing to bet his right arm was the same one in the locker room. Blood stains on the shirt sleeve, and he would just about give his right eye to make it belong to the victim rather than Williams. He had them, the whole of five-0, each and every one of them, never mind Mcgarrette and Williams. Nelson literary licked his lips, carefully gathering the shirt together in his hands as if his life depended on it.

…

The team had been called to yet another crime scene, at a lodge somewhere, another kill, same MO. Jerry knew this was the same Danny case they were working, and another murder didn't exactly make his chances any better. He took solace in that Commander McGarrette was with him now, until they could uncover the truth about this whole thing. The whole team was on board, working none stop on this case, everyone had something to do and Jerry was the only one left in the office at the moment. The FBI and I.A were now breathing down Five-O's necks, watching their every move. It wasn't exactly easy to keep up with this secrecy, but the team tried. All acting professional like the Governor wanted but also discreetly conducting their own side investigation to try and exonerate Detective Williams. Eric was now working on the blood that Adam had drawn from Danny, Noelani too, working on the drugs. Jerry hopped both would pan out with some positive results because the straws they were all trying to hold on to would not hold up in court.

Speaking of straws, Jerry knew this was a weak one but if he could prove it this might just give them their only leeway in court. The Cameras. The evidence, GPS and fingerprints really sealed the deal for Detective Williams, granted. But looking closely there definitely was something fishy about the whole thing. For one, the GPS. Why not throw it in the ocean than do a sloppy job of damaging it then leaving it in the car, abandoned in the jungle, not that deep in the jungle even. Now, Jerry was no Detective, but he knew Detective Williams was, and he knew that he knew that if Jerry or any Tech Wiz for that matter, got their hands on that damaged GPS, they will definitely be able to retrieve whatever information was on there with very minimal effort. Now, Detective Williams, being the type of detective that he was, why would he not see that coming? Unless he wanted to be caught. That is if he really was the one who was doing this, to which Jerry's mind vehemently rebelled. Danny would not be so careless, but Jerry would have to prove it because the FBI were on a head hunt and they would not take any of Jerry's gut feelings. He was already known for his inclination for conspiracy theories and because of that most people thought he was a headcase. If only they would listen to him, especially on this one.

Jerry had studied again and again the Traffic camera, the only one with Danny's car in it before it disappeared from view. It showed Danny's car continually moving in the same sport, never reaching destination. That's when Jerry realized that it was stuck in a loop. Try and talk to the camera guys, it was a glitch in the system, unfortunately they could not retrieve anything that wasn't recorded, nothing they could do about that. The FBI obviously though it was a total waste of time because they already had more than they needed to arrest Williams. Quite the opposite was true for Five O at the moment.

But Jerry kept working on the camera footage none the less, there had to be something here, he just didn't know what, exactly. He could only know when he found it, and it better be soon. He went at it again for the next few minutes then he saw it. A hint of something really, he was too afraid to hope at this point, could be nothing. But this guy, baseball cap low, head always at a weird angle to avoid the cameras, oh so Jerry thought, and he seemed to know exactly where the cameras were as he walked into the Palace. Types like these, what was his business at the palace, with five-0? Could be anyone really, but he sure didn't look like an upstanding Citizen. Jerry couldn't get a face, the guy sure knew what he was doing. Then he caught a reflection, got ya! He had avoided the cameras so well but a mirror on the opposite side, one he could not have anticipated caught him. And that might just be one big break they had been waiting for. Jerry zoomed in on the image. He had a face alright, one he could run through facial rec, because he didn't recognize the guy. He was hopping Danny and Steve would.

…

Not long before Steve and Danny got to the Yakuza hideout, before they even had time to catch a breath, Stave's phone rang. It was Jerry.

Steve answered quickly with anticipation. "Hey Jerry. Got something for me?"

"Uh…it might be something Commander. I have this guy I need you to ID. He sure acts suspicious on the camera, but I've never seen him before."

"Well have you run him through facial rec?"

"That's the thing, the ID that I'm getting here can't be right. The guy is too suspicious to be that clean. I don't know, maybe it's just me and I'm just grabbing at straws, but I thought…"

"Send the photo Jerry."

"Sending it to you now." Jerry said.

A few seconds later Steve and Danny were staring at the photo on Steve's phone, both dumb founded for a moment, just too stupefied to move.

"Commander? You still there?"

…


	13. Chapter 13

**Recriminations Chapt 12**

**Hey guys, thank you for the reviews. I really appreciate them. Keep them coming. Here's another chapter. I hope you like.**

**...**

**All these pieces they fall in line**  
**Because I'm forever on your side**  
**Take my hand when you can't see the light**  
**Cause I'm forever on your side**  
**I will carry**  
**You every time**  
**Because I'm forever on your side**

….

"Commander? You still there?" Jerry's voice came through.

Steve had to shake himself from the stupor and get back to Jerry.

"Yeah uh…sorry Jerry. Where…where did you say you found this? Is this the Palace? What's the date stamp?" Steve had a lot of questions as did Danny, no doubt.

"Just uh…two weeks ago." Jerry said. "Is it something or did I just waste your time?" Jerry said with a tinge of dismay.

"Jerry, I need you to give me everything you have on him. I mean everything. When he came onto the Island, where he's been for the past… I don't know how many years now and where he's been staying all along. I need to know everything. I mean everything Jerry." Steve said with an urgency that Jerry couldn't miss.

"Uh…ok. Name is Charles Matewo, Hawaiian born but relocated with his family when he was about five years old. Has been on the mainland ever since as he had no other relatives here left to visit. He's supposed to be here for a vacation, I guess. Now I know that's a lie. Apparently, he's just a pencil pusher at some oil company in Chicago, nothing special. So, should I take it you know this guy?" Jerry asked.

"Oh, we know him alright, but his name is not Charles anybody and he's not supposed to be anywhere walking like he is right now. Not unless that camera footage is from five years ago."

"Got it. So, presumed dead?" Jerry asked gingerly.

"Very."

"Solid cover." Jerry said, more than a bit impressed.

"Oh, but he just slipped up. Jerry I'm gonna need his current location or where he's been staying. I need an address." Steve reiterated.

"Sending all I have to you Commander."

"Good job Jerry." Steve said and them sighed turning to Danny who had moved to go and sit on a crate, a shocked look still pasted on his face.

"Unbelievable." Steve said, still shocked.

"Well, unless that's a ghost we just saw there Steven. I…I really don't have any comeback for that one." Dann said, with renewed despair.

"I mean…How?" Steve asked, aghast.

Danny just shook his head. "And he's coming after me. All of this, only to get to me."

Steve wiped his face with his hand in exasperation and wonder. "Still want to count lethal enemies, Danno?"

"I admit, you may be the Navy SEAL Steve, but I may just give you a run for your money in that department." Danny said lightly.

"No kidding." Steve concurred.

"And he's after me, Steve. My family…"

"They are safe Danny. They are on protective custody right now; he will never get to them. I promise you that." Steve reassured.

Danny looked at him to gauge his sincerity, which he didn't need to but still, seeing the look in Steve's eyes gave him the assurance he needed. He sighed with relief.

"What does he want from me?" Danny asked in wonder.

"Well, revenge, among other things, I'm sure." Steve said. "Just wonder how he wants it served."

"I know how he wants it served Steven. Me in jail for serial murders. Of all things!" Danny said.

"Not unless we get to him first Danno. I got you." Steve said, again tying to reassure Danny. How he was going to 'get to him first' was still to be determined. At this point he had zero clue.

…..

Lou and team stormed the apartment guns ready; it wasn't exactly unoccupied, but the face they were looking for was not there. Anyways, the one they found would have to do. Just being at this address was incriminating enough, and this guy was not up to any god. Not with the computer set up he had in this place.

"Hand hands!" Tani shouted at the guy. A young Houle, unarmed, didn't look like weapons were his forte, at least not non-technical types anyway, like guns for example.

"Clear!" Junior yelled after sweeping the small apartment. There was no one else there.

Lou came forward and grabbed the guy by the collar. "Ok, you are going to tell us what you've been doing framing our friend or I swear to God!"

The small guy looked anything but scared, he actually looked smug.

"I don't know what the hell you're talking about officers."

"Oh, you'll know soon enough." Lou was thinking the interrogation room will shake the guy into the adequate amount of fear needed for him to spill the beans on every hack he had done so far.

Steve had called him with the details just as they had been clearing up at the crime scene, to say he was shocked was an understatement. What was it with Danny and these guys who seemed to want him deader than dead? And this latest one was nothing good. Far from it. Lou had rounded up the team and proceeded to the address, hoping to finally put this ghost to rest. But of course, it wasn't going to be that easy, was it? They found nothing except this little weasel, but he was in on the whole deal, no doubt. Him and is hacking stuff.

HPD was there to back them up, they had no reason not to. It was a solid lead, came from Steve, who had not been in contact with Danny whatsoever. In fact, as far as everyone was concerned, Steve was following a lead, trying to find Danny, the serial killer, so he could bring him to justice. Just doing his job.

"I know my rights! You can't just burst in here and arrest me for no reason. I need to know what I've done." The guy was yelling as Junior hustled him out in hand cuffs

"Oh, we'll get you on something yet. As if this whole apartment is not enough. Just being at this address is reason enough young man." Lou said.

At that moment Sargent Luleka walked in with none other than FBI Agent Nelson. Lou just looked at them questioningly, not quite sure of what was happening. He had not made this lead public, let alone the FBI.

"Sorry Lou, but we'll have to take you guys in…" Duke said.

"For what?! Duke, what's happening man. What are you talking about? We're in the middle of a case!" Lou protested.

Duke just grimaced with a regretful face. "Governor's orders guys, sorry."

"Now, what the hell!" Lou still protested, not knowing what was going on. Tani and Junior were already in cuffs looking perplexed.

Agent Nelson came forward with a smug smile on his face. It was the first thing closest to a smile Lou had ever seen on the guy's face since he started working with him. The guy was a robot, the kind kids didn't like to emulate.

"We have a warrant for your arrest Captain Grover. You and the rest of your Five O team. Not to mention Williams, of course. Now him, we want for a whole other reason. Well, you might say the reasons are somewhat related." Agent Nelson said smugly.

"What the hell are you talking about? Duke?" Lou asked perplexed, appealing to Duke for help.

"You're under arrest for adding and abetting a fugitive, falsifying evidence…" Nelson began.

"What?! What the hel…?"

"…hiding evidence for the purpose of impeding an ongoing investigation and impeding justice." Nelson continued, ignoring Lou's gape mouthed protests.

"You have the right to remain silent, you have the right…." Nelson continued to read him his rights and Lou just stared at him open mouthed, he could not believe this was happening. How? When they had thought they had actually caught a break. Now that little weasel was gonna walk and he was the key to everything. They will never find that out now. Not unless they were the ones conducting the interrogation, because they new what to ask, they had an angle here, to exonerate Danny. Now the FBI didn't have that same objective. The FBI seemed to be ready to let the guy go, there and then.

"No no no, whatever you do, don't let that guy go." Lou stressed.

"What reason do you have for arresting him?" Nelson asked.

"Wha…the reason…" Lou gaped, stammered. "He…he was in this apartment for one and it's a crime scene."

"Really? Enlighten me." Nelson said, patronizing.

Lou really didn't have anything. Not unless he wanted to give Steve's six, which at this point was not an option. He didn't know where Steve was, hadn't talked to him since very early morning and he certainly had had no contact with Danny whatsoever, that was hi story and he was sticking to it.

"You can't let him go." Lou protested still, less heatedly now.

"Do you have a warrant for his arrest, for whatever reason you're arresting him? Did you at least remember to follow protocol in all of this Five O bullshit you're always pulling?" Nelson asked and seeing Lou's blank look, he smirked. "That's what I thought." He said, then gave the signal for the guy to be released.

"Just look at this apartment, he's set up like the hacker from hell, can't you see that? We got him on…" Lou really could not believe they were letting the guy now he couldn't pull out the immunity and means card. It felt kind of pointless saying it in hand cuffs. Their only real lead was slipping through their fingers just like that. What a Fu*k up! What a serious serious fu*k up!

"It's three computers Captain Grover." Nelson humored. "Last I checked, that's not a crime."

"I'm a hoarder, sorry." The guy said with fake apology, rubbing his wrists which were now free of handcuffs.

"Hoarder my ass. Just look at how empty this apartment is." Lou argued.

"Of computers. Hoarder of computers only. It's a thing." The guy said, still with that 'I got one over you' smile.

"Yeah, with traffic cameras and all sorts of stuff on it. You at least have to take him with you." Lou appealed again to Nelson.

"Well, because of your complete disregard for proper procedure, this case won't hold water in court. Nice going gentlemen." Nelson pointed out with sarcasm. "In the meantime, you and your team are going away for quite a while and your case is airtight."

The prisoner was released and thanked the officers with fake grace, then looked straight at Lou and smiled. It wasn't a good smile. He watched the people who had come to arrest him being dragged away in handcuffs instead. He had gotten off pretty lucky this time, he could not believe how things had turned out. Who would'a thunk it? Anyways, luck didn't strike twice, and he still didn't know how the five-o guys had found out about this place anyway. He wasn't a guy one could find easy, not unless he wanted to be found, and he most certainly didn't want to be found. Now if they knew where he had been operating from for the past two weeks then they already knew too much. He had to pack up and leave, he was only helping out friend anyway. Wasn't his baby, not his problem. But if his cover was blown then to will become, and he didn't need that heat.

At the Palace, Jerry had his hands up, eyes wide open as he was being read his Miranda rights. He was being arrested. Shit! And he hadn't had a chance to warn Steve, or the team. He managed to stumble onto his commuter and hit a key that sent all of his files to Steve's phone and at the same time erase all that he had been working on. At least that ought to give them a head start. He held his hands up to be cuffed.

Adam was also startled at the lab with Eric as he found himself being read his rights too, wrists getting into cuffs. What the hell had happened?! Eric was free to go since he wasn't Five-O, they said. He was safe. At least he would be able to warn Steve and Danny that the shit had just hit the fan!

….

see you in a bit


	14. Chapter 14

**Recriminations Chapter 14- The message.**

**Hey guys, here's another one. I hope you like and review. Thanks lots for the reviews and keep 'em coming.**

All these pieces they fall in line  
Because I'm forever on your side  
Take my hand when you can't see the light  
Cause I'm forever on your side  
I will carry  
You every time  
Because I'm forever on your side- Need to breathe.

...

It didn't even take Eric's frantic phone call to alert Steve that something was wrong. Long before Eric called with the latest, the Governor had called. His gut feeling made him let it go to voice mail. The Governor didn't leave a message.

"You should've picked it up Steve." Danny said.

"And said what, exactly? She's gonna ask where I am…"

"And you can't lie?"

Steve sighed. "It's just, I don't want to talk to the Governor yet before I know what's going on out there. I haven't been able to get through to Lou or Adam for the past hour or so. I'll just rather talk to her when I know what the hell I'm talking about, ok?"

"Yeah, I know. I mean, hell, I still can't believe…" Danny was cut off by Steve's phone ringing again.

"McGarett." He answered.

"Commander, it's Eric…."

"Eric, hey. What do you got for m...?"

"Commander, I believe you've just shit the bed."

"What?" Steve looked at his phone for a second in utter puzzlement, Danny snickered and shook his head.

"Shit just hit the fan! You've been invaded. The FEDs have taken over Five O, everyone's gone…"

"Eric! Take a breath." Steve tried to get through to Eric's frantic ranting. "What do you mean everyone's gone? What the hell are you talking about?"

"Shouldn't have put him on speaker. Told you his language was impressive." Danny said, coming closer to listen and talk to his nephew. "Eric."

"Uncle D? Shit! It that you? Uncle D…man I'm glad to hear your voice man. You have no idea how worried we've been with you going AWOL and taking drugs and everything…"

"Eric, get your head outa space. What the hell are you talking about, everybody's gone? Try not to talk like a stammering fifteen-year-old high on meth this time."

"There's my uncle D. Can't believe it's really you…"

"Well, you can believe it now." Steve mumbled. "Talk Eric."

"Yeah…uh…so uh… the FEDs, right? They just burst into the Lab, arrested Adam, right in front of me. No explanation, no nothin'. Guy is a total douche bag, the FBI guy, that is. Told me I was lucky I wasn't technically Five O, or I would have been in cuffs as well. I tell you uncle D, everyone in Five O, well except you and the good Commander of course, everyone is in jail right now. I haven't a clue as to why. Something to do with evidence tampering. Wait…do you think the side investigations we've been doing are what got the guys into trouble? If so, then me and Noelani should be joining the pack soon."

"Alright Eric, back up a little. Did you say everyone is in jail?" Steve asked incredulously. If it had been just Adam he would understand, he had been in direct contact with him and Danny. But the whole crew?

"That's what I just said. It's just you and Uncle D there, the rest of Five O is burnt. I don't know, maybe they found out you're hiding uncle D?"

"Shit! Steve?" Danny said, panic renewed.

"Unlikely." Steve said, but not with his usual calm. "Eric, I need you to find out what the hell is going on. Talk to Lou, he'd know."

"Yeah, on it. Just… whatever you do, don't show your faces around here or you're both toast.

"Report back as soon as you have something." Steve said.

"Aye aye Capt'n." And Eric was gone.

Steve turned to wipe is hand on his face with exasperation.

Danny was pacing. "Steve what the hell have you been doing to give the FEDs cause to arrest the whole team?! I mean…you think they found out you've been aiding and abetting me?"

Steve was thinking too, it couldn't be that. Perhaps the cops at the roadblock had seen Danny? No, like he had said, highly unlikely. The other clue, the other possibility was not possible. Or wasn't it?

The shirt. They had found the shirt. Well, now if they had found the shirt then it was game over, for all of them. He'd just have to take the blame, nobody else need go down with him. It had been his decision after all to hide evidence. But how did they find it? Just how?!

…

Danny and Steve spent hour trying to decipher the data that Jerry had managed to send to them. Jerry had managed to get an extensive amount of data on the guy but most of it was encrypted.

Danny snorted. "Well, he certainly has grown an extra brain if he's the one who put all that together."

"My money is on 'not'." Steve said, "He's gotta have an accomplice. I mean, Danny, this is top level hacker stuff. I admit I didn't know the guy well, but I read is file when we arrested him, and it didn't mention that he was a computer expect. In fact, this whole frame job must have taken a lot more brain cells than he's capable of."

"That's the problem with under estimating people Steve, they totally blindside you when they show you their true colors. Remember that. Besides, his first frame job wasn't so bad. Not knowing if that was his fist one. How many did he got away with before we caught him?"

"Yeah, but we caught him Danny."

"We thought we did. The guy is supposed to be dead Steven. Now he's resurfaced and showing off some ninja brain computer skills we had no idea he had. Unless if they train high level computer skills in the afterlife, I haven't known ghosts to come back improved, have you?"

"Wouldn't know Danny, I've never met a ghost. Besides, he's come back a serial killer bent on revenge Danny; I wouldn't say he's improved."

"Well, decrypted data says different. To be frank, we have no idea who we are dealing with here. And he's got me in a pretty tight little corner right now Steve." Danny was pacing, losing it. "And now, everyone is in jail!"

"First we have to find out the rest of this encryption then we'll have an idea. OK?" Steve tried for calm.

"Oh, unless I missed the part where, in the eight years I've known you Steven, you became a computer guru, I don't see how we're gonna decrypt this Steven!" Danny was doing the wave with his hands as he paced, his mouth not taking a break either. "And I'm completely nuts I know…"

"True that." Steve mumbled.

"…but I know I would remember that! Now again, excuse my frenetic mind due to involuntary doping, thank you very much, but I know I wasn't hearing things when I didn't miss the part where Jerry is supposed to be in jail right now! And Toast is dead, I remember that too. Hey, look at that, my brain is starting to remember things. And I also remember that Catherine, with her Navy hacking connections, are also gone, she's quit the Navy, dumped your ass and is now God only knows where, on some CIA torture mission!"

"Are you done?" Steve was looking at his friend in wonder as he paced and ranted, waving his hands in animation.

"With your mother. She's probably on a CIA torture mission with your mother Steven and, again, excuse my drug benumbed brain but I don't think they are reachable right now to help us with our little problem." Danny sighed as he stopped pacing, looking at Steve. "There, I'm done."

Steve shook his head in wonder, "Well, if you're done, Sir Daniel, I was thinking Eric. Yes, your shmuck of a nephew Erick, your words not mine. He has helped us with this type of thing before." Steve said rationally. "Why don't we try that before we go all extreme as to try and call Catherine or my mother, shall we?"

Danny made a face, acknowledging the point. Eric, his shmuck of a nephew, Eric. There might be a reason why he was left out of jail after all, and he better be able to pull this off.

"Could be an idea." Danny grudgingly agreed.

"Thank you. No need to thank me or anything." Steve said with sarcasm. "For coming up with the solution to our problem, that is."

"We don't know if it's a solution or not Steven."

"So, should I take it the praise is still pending?"

"It's never coming." Danny snapped.

Steve just laughed and shook his head, calling Erick.

….

About thirty minutes later Eric had sent back the decrypted data onto Steve's laptop. Steve and Danny read the decrypted data. Address, they already had that, and Lou and team had busted the place, caught and lost their lead all in one breath just because of the FBI's interference. Nothing new here. Some other rather interesting information but Steve didn't know how this was going to help them get their guy anyway. At a time like this he did wish for his team, many brains put together could catch something.

Steve's eyes caught on a footnote, random really, at the end of the text, in italics, really couldn't be that important.

He read it out loud.

_'At genesis we end at dawn.' _

"Think that means anything?" Steve asked Danny who had gone quiet.

Steve looked up at Danny, whose eyes were fixed on the footnote with a bit of intense focus.

Danny just shrugged. "I don't know Steve. Sounds like poetry or a quote from some dead guy he stole from a diary's footnote. This whole thing is a waste of time." Danny said dismissively.

It wasn't in what he said or even in how he said it, but Danny's whole demeanor had changed. Danny had gone quiet, too quiet and Steve wasn't buying this whole new lax attitude. Not after the whole ranting and pacing and erratic behavior of just some minutes before. Steve decided to let it go for now. Maybe this whole thing was really getting to him and the decrypted data was not helping matters because it might as well be still encrypted for all the help they were getting form it so far. Maybe the hopelessness of the whole situation was getting to him.

"Ok, uh…" Steve leaned on the table, the only furniture really in the wide empty space of the warehouse, studying the data on the laptop. "…It could be something Danny. Maybe a time? Genesis? Could be a place, a rendezvous point?" Steve said, still running ideas through his head, he wasn't about to let the hopelessness of the situation defeat him like Danny here.

"Maybe, ok, I'm going out on a limb here but 'genesis, the beginning, could mean a place where something began, a begging of something? My money is on a place. And this dawn thing, could be a time, I don't know. It could be a place too. A place where you could see the dawn? Maybe?" Steve persisted, looking enquiringly at Danny.

"Or it could be just a nice piece of written art Steve. I'm gonna catch on to some sleep; my brain is fried. I suggest you do the same." Danny said, turning to go and prepare his sleeping bag, arranged his pillow and got in to sleep.

Danny's sudden disinterest was intriguing. All of a sudden? Just like that? Steve decided to let him be and get back to work this thing through, whatever he could get. Right now, he thought he might have a time and a place. Only dawn of which day? Worse even, at the beginning of what exactly?

Things were escalating at an alarming trajectory and he was getting scared. His whole team was in prison now and that meant he wasn't going to be left out of that equation. However, that could be sorted out, even if they had found him hiding evidence in his desk drawer, the Governor could cut them a deal for that. They could still come out with just a slap on the wrist, Steve still had a lot of connections, besides the Governor. What scared him more than anything was how this was looking like a tight-fitting set of cuffs for Danny. The way the vice was closing in on him, he was never getting out of it. And no connection was going to get him out of life imprisonment for the murders he had not committed, Steve knew that for certain now after seeing that photo that Jerry had sent. The enemy was back, he was lethal, and he had only vengeance planned. So far, it had been going as planned but he had slipped up with that camera shot. Steve hopped he could use that to their advantage or his whole world as he knew it was going down the drain. Right now, Dany was quiet, too quiet, and Steve didn't know what he was thinking, planning, and that scared him. Danny had just stopped pacing, got out of his frantic panic mode into something Steve didn't even want to fathom. Like he had finally settled into a decision, like he was no longer fighting or scared, like he had given up.

They talked most through the night about how they could try and strategies and get the upper hand here, or at least Steve talked. Danny had just been all consenting and agreements, like he was humoring Steve. And now he was sound asleep, or feigning, just like that, and Steve wasn't buying it. That calmness was almost scaring him.

Danny had frozen cold at that message, it was a message alright, directed at him. He knew exactly what it meant, and he didn't want Steve figuring it out, he knew he had played his nonchalance very well. But not well enough. Steve knew something was up with him, well go figure. The downside of knowing each other too well. It wasn't such a good thing at a time like this. Steve was getting too close to the meaning of that message, the stupid brilliant Neanderthal!

But Danny had a plan. A plan that will end this once and for all. The way he saw it, his head was the only one that should be on the stake. He had no right to drag everyone else along with him, as much as they were willing to go down with him, apparently. He was not prepared to do that. This was his fight and it had gone on far enough.

"What are you thinking?"

Steve's quiet question fell like a pin in the stillness of the night. Damn the Neanderthal! Danny had thought he had been feigning sleep quite well.

"Nothing Steven, I'm trying not to think, thank you very much." Danny snapped.

Steve cleared his throat, "I'm just saying, this is unlike you Danny. You're taking this too well all of a sudden. I expect you to think…"

"You expect me to wear down the floor with my pacing and thinking, which clearly won't get us anywhere. It's late, we're not gonna get anything more now, everyone's in jail! So, I figured we might as well be rational in the morning, maybe then after some sleep we'll be able to figure out a way to take this bastard down. But right now, Steve, I'm burnt out man." Danny said wearily. "So, is it ok if I try to get some sleep?" Danny said with his usual sarcasm.

Steve smirked, "Fine. You go ahead and get some sleep Danno, I'll just be the brains of this whole operation, as always."

"Don't hurt yourself." Danny snarked as he turned away and settled back to sleep.

Steve laughed. Danny was right anyway. They had thought about this over and over and they still couldn't come up with much. They were both burned out, maybe it was a good idea to let their minds settle and strategies in the morning. Not much they could do now. Steve also settled down to sleep, but he wasn't sure sleep would come. His mind couldn't stop racing, still reevaluating every contingency, every strategy. The warehouse was just that, a warehouse. No Yakuza luxury beds for their runaway perps or a refrigerator with beer in it, not even a TV. It was just a big empty space, but it was secluded and not easy to find, major factor. So, whoever might be looking for would not be having that much luck right now. At least that gave Steve some peace of mind, but the hard ground wasn't helping him get sleep that much faster. This was certainly no five-star hotel but at least they had sleeping bags.

Danny seemed to have knocked off pretty quickly, maybe the side effects of the drugs but Steve was grateful for that, that added to his peace of mind. As for Steve, sleep would have to come and steal him. With everything that was going on in his mind, he just didn't see how that was possible.

But true to nature, in the wee hours of the night, the constant sighing stopped, his heart slowed, and his mind slumbered into reluctant sleep.

Danny had been listening the whole time.

…..

See you in a bit.


	15. Chapter 15

**Recriminations chapter 15**

**Hey guys, it's been a while i know,forgive. Here's another chapter, i hope you like. Cheers**

...

Steve woke up with a start. He'd not meant to fall asleep, but he still felt like he could use a few more hours. He first felt for his phone, which he was sure he had left near his head on his left. He didn't find it, but he didn't panic at that, it might have moved or something, all he needed was time. He must have slept for an hour, at best, it was still dark. He looked at his wristwatch to confirm that and… Shit! Not an hour. He had slept for like… four hours. What?!

He must have been exhausted to sleep so soundly at a time like this. Four hours was a lot of sleep considering he hadn't meant to sleep at all. But he'll cut himself some slack, he hadn't been sleeping much the whole time Danny had been missing. Maybe finally having him here safe was what contributed to his apparent peace of mind, sleeping for four friggin hours! Never mind the world of shit they were currently in. He looked over at Danny, the bunched-up sleeping bag didn't move. Steve didn't want to wake him, so he kept quiet. God only knew the guy needed as much sleep as he could get, especially with the day he was anticipating today. He looked up at the ceiling as he tried to get his mind into function mode, maybe pick up from where he had left off trying to get a plan for today. Then something hit him right then, like whiplash he looked again on his far right at Danny's sleeping bag, because it was just that, a sleeping bag. Danny wasn't in it. He knew that before he could even get up to go physically check, he knew it in his gut. Danny was gone.

Damn and damnation! What. The. Fuck. Daniel?! What the hell did he think he was doing going out alone like that to face a killer?! What the hell! What was Steve supposed to do now? There were lots of people looking for them right now, never mind the FBI and a serial killer, the real one who clearly had a score to settle with Danny. The do or die kind.

Damn it damn it damn it! He couldn't even call his team, because everyone was in jail. Shit shit shit! But still, he had to call somebody, that's when he realized the implication of his missing phone, that was gone too. He spared himself the trouble of looking for it. Danny had made sure he would have a hard time following him. Now everything was starting to make sense and he was getting panicked by the minute as every piece fell into place.

Steve scrambled to his feet, went to his laptop and thank God it was still there. He didn't need to go through the details on his laptop again to know what had triggered Danny to make this move. Danny had been acting weird the moment he started reading the decrypted files sent through by Eric last night. He had gone quiet all of a sudden. Steve knew exactly what had brought that on, the italicized message. Steve quickly opened the message and read it again. He could kick himself now. How did he not see that for what it really was? The fact that Danny had tried so hard to make him think it was useless was not a factor at all, in fact he should have been clued in by that. These two had history and Danny was bound to read a message in there nobody else would be able to read. And he had thought leaving Steve behind would... what exactly, keep him safe? Danny must have felt really guilty for dragging everyone into this. Steve could understand that, but _him_ too? The stupid stupid fool! Like he wasn't already in hot soup.

Steve needed outside help and there was only one person he could contact at the moment, only one person he could call. He sent a message to Eric to meet him somewhere neutral. The time it would take Eric to get all the way here would be too long. Steve had to make his way back to Honolulu somehow. If Eric could met him halfway, that would be great.

He grabbed his laptop and rushed out, not quite sure where he was supposed to be headed after meeting with Eric, but he'll figure that out once he had a vehicle and a phone.

_'Genesis ends where it starts at dawn.'_

He replayed that line in his head over and over. Where it all started is where it was all going to end. Where it started, could be two places, he knew two possible places. And if 'dawn' was the time of the meet, then he only had an hour or two. He prayed to God that he would get there before it was all over. Before it _ended_ and Danny most likely ending with it. The guy had no one on his side, had left his backup behind, while this other moron had all kinds of backup and God only knew what else.

Steve prayed he will find Danny in one piece and then he will kill him himself for pulling something like this!

…..

Danny made his way to the rendezvous. 'Dawn' was still about an hour or so, that is, if he had been right about this place and the time. He knew he was, what he didn't know was the date, but he was willing to bet that it was meant to be the 'dawn' after the moment he read that message. He had made sure Steve wouldn't be able to follow. Well, the guy was a Navy SEAL, granted, but that was a very remote place Adam had found for them to hide, a long way out. He had stolen Steve's truck, had been as stealth as he had ever been to make sure not to wake Steve, and it seemed to have worked. Steve hadn't woken up when Danny had carefully taken his phone from beside him on the floor, he hadn't stirred when he had carefully and noiselessly opened and closed the door, which, thankfully, had not squeaked and he held his breath as he started the truck. Steve had not come barreling out the door after him. Danny had not stopped looking through his review mirror to see if a certain Neanderthal was running after him with Super SEAL strides until he made the turn and finally took a breather. So far, Steve was fast asleep. The SEAL must have been exhausted to sleep so soundly, but Danny knew it wouldn't be long before the ninja woke up from his short reluctant slumber and realized that he had been played. And he was going to have a bitch fit! Aneurysm face would be in place for the rest of the day. God help whoever crossed his path in the mood he was likely going to be in. Steve was going to be mad, feeling betrayed and he was going to be worried, maybe even panicked as soon as he realized what Danny was planning. It wouldn't take long either, Steve already knew the answer to the puzzle, he just hadn't put the pieces in place yet. In fact, Danny knew that by now Steve wasn't far behind him, having figured out where to follow, aneurysm face and those puppy dog hurt eyes on from what he would quantify as 'the betrayal' of the year. Danny grimaced as he pictured that face. He would feel the same way if Steve did that to him, he had a number of times and Danny knew what it felt like. Betrayed, broken bro-code and all, but this was Danny's fight and if he hadn't sneaked out, the big, overprotective bear of a brother would have stuck to him like glue. Steve would go with him to hell and back. Hell, he had already done that, and now the whole team was in prison. Steve was not going to get a better deal when the FBI got their hands on him, but at least he was better alive than dead. This was Danny's only play and he hoped Steve would forgive him in the end. But he was doing this for him, for Rachel, Grace and Charlie and for his Ohana. He couldn't keep dragging them down with him like this. The message had come at the right time, it was time to end this. He might come back from this alive and well, but that would take a miracle. Chances were, he would not come back from this at all. Either way, he had a plan to clear his name, leave his kids a clear legacy, prevent Steve from getting swept along in the avalanche and becoming collateral damage, at least no more collateral than he already was. Rachel, God Rachel will be hurt, and she will hate him forever but at least he'd have fixed this. Take the threat away from his loved ones, take the bullet himself as it should have been from the start. All the innocent people who had died so far didn't need to die; it was all his fault. It had all been for him, to fix him. And now, if he didn't take this bait, he knew that things will escalate to his family and the bastard would not stop until Danny came begging with his own life in exchange. He'd rather do it now, before he witnessed his loved ones get taken one by one. So, he parked the truck and waited for dawn.

...

**See you in a bit**


	16. Chapter 16

**Recrimination Chpt 16**

**Hey guys. Thanks for the support and reviews, really appreciate them. Here's another chapter, another one will follow soon as we are fast coming to the end of this one. I hope you enjoy. Cheers. I'm sure there are plenty of mistakes, proof reading was done in a hurry. Forgive.**

**...**

Steve made it to the highway on foot, it was quite a distance and it took him more than thirty minutes on a sprint. His training and his usual morning run really paid off this time, because any ordinary man would have taken an hour and then some. He brought out his badge and commandeered a vehicle, cursing Danny the whole time for making this so difficult for him. And he better be alive when he finally found him at dawn. Looking at his watch, Steve knew he was really cutting it close, but he wasn't a stranger to mad driving. In another two hours Steve had arrived at Kamekona's and Eric was already there waiting for him.

"Commander…"

"Erick, good thing you're punctual. Your uncle is missing, again. He took my phone and I'm hoping you can trace it." Steve said, coming to meet up with Eric, his laptop in one hand.

"What do you mean he's missing, again? What the hell happened?"

"He's probably gone to meet with the serial killer and get himself killed in the process. Look at me, what do I mean 'probably'." Steve scoffed in self-deprecation. "I know that's what he's going to do. And if you don't track him asap Eric, we can be sure he's lost to us for good this time." Steve said thrusting the laptop into Eric's hands.

Eric placed the computer on the hood of his car and didn't take time powering it up and getting to work. "You know Commander, this is going to take some high-level hacker stuff."

"Please tell me you can do it." Steve said in anxiety.

"Oh, I can. Just give me a few minutes."

Steve took a visible breath, "Thank God."

"Something you gotta know though."

"What is it?"

"If I switch on your tracker, you can bet the FBI and HPD are going to get your signal too. And they won't be far behind you. Apparently, you and uncle D are the most wanted criminals on this Island at the moment." Eric said.

"It wouldn't be the first time." Steve said with a grimace. "We might need some backup anyway. Fire it up Eric. It's not like we have a whole lot of options here."

"You got it." Eric said, punching in a number of keys so fast Steve's eyes could barely follow.

"There!" Eric said. "I got you a location."

Steve came closer to study the location showing on the GPS. Damn it! He was right! And how poetic? Where the whole mess had begun. He should have known. Steve grabbed the laptop and hurried to the truck he had been able to hustle out of a civilian. He had hated that it wasn't a sports car and couldn't move fast enough, but now, considering where he was headed, a truck was ideal.

Erick walked with him to the truck, his intentions clear.

"What are you doing?"

"I'm coming with you commander." Eric said.

"No, Erick. I need you here on the ground." Steve could see that Erick was not going to let up easy unless he gave a him something tangible, a purpose instrumental to helping his uncle, because the guy wasn't going to just sit this one out. But Steve knew the danger he was walking into and he didn't want to drag Eric into it too.

"Look man, like you said, the FBI and HPD are going to be following my trail now. I need you to go to Duke, tell Duke what's going on and come along with HPD to the scene. Alright?" Steve said, searching Eric's eyes for understanding. "I have a feeling we're going to need HPD on our side here, and I need you to make sure of that."

Erick finally nodded with understand, accepting the new task he had been given. "Yeah yeah, I got it man."

"Good, I gotta go now…"

"One other thing commander."

Steve paused from getting into the truck 'What is it?"

"Just uh…about my tech skills, don't tell my uncle I know all that, or he's gonna tear me a knew one when he gets back." Erick said, his eyes conveying a different message. His uncle was going to come back and he was not entertaining any other thought.

Steve got that and knew how the kid felt. "Believe me, your uncle already has a hard time believing that you even know how to decrypt a secure file, let alone remotely switch on a GPS. Don't worry, I'll make sure he gives you a pat on the back than scold you for being a mini Arron Wright."

"Not Arron Wright, come-on"

"Well, maybe not the rotten bedside manner, but your skills are just as mad. You did a great job today Erick, and… I'm gonna bring him back." Steve promised.

Erick nodded, "Be safe Commander." He said as he watched Steve get into his truck and drive off.

Steve drove like mad, the little to no traffic in the early hours making it a bit easier for him to let loose and be as reckless with the speed as he could. Luau barbecue pit, Waikiki Bay, just what he had guessed. And it was almost dawn. He had to rush it and pray that he wasn't too late. If Danny made it out alive, he might still need to run because he was still a prime suspect in multiple homicides. Unless by some miracle his name got cleared, Danny might still have to live his life as a fugitive. But at this point, Steve wasn't asking for much, he just prayed that Danny would make it out of this alive, fugitive or no.

…

The alarm beeped to alert James, an FBI technical guy who was working the case with Agent Simon and team. "Bingo! We got em!"

James jumped in delight; he made the call to Agent Nelson right away. He had been working hard trying to find the to suspects, Williams and McGarrett, without any success. So, he had setup an alert system in case their GPS came up without anybody monitoring, like now. He had suspected the guys might make a move in the odd hours of the night when most everyone would have retired for some sleep. Now, somebody slap him if this weren't 'odd hours of the night', 3am to be exact. The guys were clever, but he was better. He just wondered why they would make a foolhardy move of turning on their GPS at all. They had been doing a great job of staying off the radar, until now. They must have really needed to turn on the light very desperately for some reason, and they had chosen a good time to do it, when everyone was asleep. Because as obsessed as Nelson was with this case, even he had to rest sometime. And the fugitives knew that. But James had laid a trap ahead, and damn if they hadn't just been caught in the gin trap! He had found them, and so easy too, after so many hours of searching and not being able to get even a general location on them. James could not believe he had found them. McGarrett's GPS had just popped up on his radar, just like that. Now he could not wait to collect his credits and pat on the back. Maybe even a promotion was waiting for him for this kind of find. Head of…something. His future was made.

As soon as he received the call, Agent Nelson didn't waste time getting out of bed and out of his hotel room, commandeering his team and the rest and HPD over the phone to meet him at 5-0 HQ. Agent Nelson smiled, something he rarely did but this time, he really could afford a smile as he drove, headed for the Palace. He had them this time and he was not going to let them get away again. McGarrett was going to rue the day he had ever met him.

After convening a brief meeting on tactical moves and how they were going to approach the situation, Agent Nelson strapped on his vest and made sure his gun was loaded, already heading out the building at a run, his partner, Agent Kurb, right behind. "We got a location guys, somewhere in the jungle north of Waikiki Bay, no need to waste time. Let's go, let's go, let's go!" He yelled to the general audience of HPD officers who followed his lead without question.

….

**See you in a bit**


	17. Chapter 17

**Recriminations Chapter 17**

**Hey guys, thank you for your support on this story, really appreciate it. This one is a bit long but i might take a while updating so, enjoy. I hope you like and review. Cheers.**

...

**What I've learnt from the ocean**  
**Hard to dance and rejoice in the motion**  
**Let the sun have its moment**  
**The moon will come ( Jacob Banks-Slow up)**

Danny had been waiting here for the past two hours, the place where it had all started. He crouched down on the ground, the evidence of what had happened here eroded by years of inevitable climate change. But he would never forget and being here right now brought it all back. If anyone still had an ax to grind it would be him. A wrong was done here, a grievous wrong and he sure wasn't the one who had started it. Just thinking about it made his blood boil; all he could think of was emptying his bullets into the good for nothing scum bag's head. But he had a plan. He had a good plan, he thought.

Danny felt him approach before he even saw him. He felt his anger build up even more as he looked up to see the son of a bitch approach with a lazy stride, as if he had been waiting too, watching the whole time. He had a vendetta?_ HE_ had a vendetta?! The one who should have a vendetta here should be Danny, not the other way around. And Danny was feeling that vendetta something fierce way right now.

"You look good Williams. I thought you said the Island didn't agree with you. Something about the sun and pineapples maybe. See, I don't quite remember since I didn't get to know you that long."

"You look good too. For a dead man." Was Danny's clipped response as he got up from his crouched position. "But don't worry, I'll fix that in a minute." Danny said, drawing his weapon.

"Oh, please do that. Go right ahead and do _that_. Kill me and put the last nail in your coffin, Williams."

Danny scoffed, "You still think I care? You've made sure that I was left with nothing to lose. What I would like to know though, before I kill you." Danny said with labored breaths from rage. "Is why. Why are you doing this, you bastard?"

"You have to ask? Really Danny? After what you did to me? You wouldn't think I'd come back and take my revenge?"

"Oh, you should have stayed dead wherever you were because you've got to know that I'd want to finish the job now. What I don't understand is why you're here screaming vengeance?" Danny said.

"You think I don't have the right to feel wronged here? You think I shouldn't feel like killing you a thousand times over for what you did to me?"

"What I did to you?" Danny spun around, hands waving in outrage as he made a mirthless chuckle. "You're a crazy dude. What I did to you. You killed Meka, Kaleo! You killed my partner, my friend! Your own colleague for years, for goodness sake! You killed him, stuck his badge in his mouth and burned him in a barbecue pit! Right on this spot. How? Just how do you think you can just stand there crying vengeance after what you've done and not have me put a bullet into your skull right now?"

Kaleo scoffed. "Because you don't know everything I've got up my sleeve. Because you need evidence to claim your precious presumed innocence. Because you still want to live Danny. That's why you're controlling that famous temper of yours so hard. Buddy, you still got plenty to lose, trust me."

Danny fumed, Kaleo was right. He really was trying his best to hold on to his anger and not pull that trigger, because he did had plenty to lose and he didn't want to nail that coffin of his just yet. The silly thing called hope. Maybe this, maybe that, maybe…just maybe he might get out of this with a trophy. Maybe he might get out of this and go back home, pick up where he left off instead of going to jail for life. He would play Kaleo's game for now and restrain himself from killing the son of a bitch.

"I'm curious, how are you still alive Kaleo?"

"A little thing called luck, really. Since you left me for dead in that prison."

"You wanted to kill Chin, of course we left you for dead. In fact, we followed up at the hospital where your body was reported to have succumbed to injuries sustained from the prison riot you caused," Danny emphasized that point, "And we were glad to hear it. I danced on your grave Kaleo. They buried your body." Danny said, remembering in confusion now.

"Should have verified the body, Williams. Should have put your wacky friend Max on the autopsy, but then again, Five-0 is only concerned with murder victims. The rest of us are shoved to the general morgues to be looked after by the general staff. Too easy to change copses there, don't you think? I should start a campaign, # all corpses are equal!" Kaleo grinned.

"Good thing you're still talking like the dead, because you're gonna be soon." Danny said threateningly. "So, you…what? Checked yourself out of the morgue without anyone noticing? I'm confused…"

"Of course you are Danny, you were never one to catch on quickly. Long story short, my talents didn't go unnoticed by some very high-level people who thought it would be in their best interest to recruit someone as equally brilliant as me. They helped arrange the whole thing."

Danny scoffed, "So, you've been recruited into what exactly? The Mafia, again?"

Kaleo smirked, "I'll tell you a secret, since you're going to die with it." He leaned forward a little and whispered, "I'm government, now."

Danny blinked in surprise but didn't comment on it. Government huh? Like some of those shadow agents or assassins? CIA cleaners maybe?

"Well, since you have such a nice life now, why did you come back. Why do this Kaleo? Huh, what have I ever done to you? Huh? You kill my friend and then you have the nerve to come back here crying foul because you got caught?"

"You have no idea what you did to me, do you, Williams? The extent to which you ruined me can only be avenged by blood. I had this Island. This was my territory, my empire. Never mind Meka, he wasn't the first one to hit a trail, and he wasn't the first one to die for it. But you, a haole, fresh from the mainland…" Kaleo breathed hard trying to calm his temper, "You came and just took it all away. And you think I'm not supposed to be bitter about that? This is a blood feud Williams."

"Is your sense of justice so twisted that you're sprouting such nonsense? Blaming me for putting your drug cartel out of business? For sending you to prison for the crimes you committed?" Danny asked incredulously. "Never mind, I'm going to end it. Right now, right here. Prison was never the place for you."

"Damn straight it wasn't. Do you know what prison was like for a cop like me?"

"You mean a dirty cop? No, I've no idea, but I'm figuring it wasn't too sweet."

"Give it a few minutes Williams and you won't be so cocky."

"You killed all those people Kaleo. And for what? Revenge?!"

"You say that like it's a bad thing. I lost my life because of you. I lost my wife; my children can't see me anymore. Because I'm dead! I had to be. Because of you! Believe me, I would do anything, and I mean anything, to get back at you."

"Well, you've had your fun but it's over now. You're going to prison Kaleo, for real this time. Framing me didn't work"

"You think?" Kaleo snorted.

"I'm curious tough, who gave you an extra brain to pull off what you just did? Because you must have had help. I've always known you to be a few screws short of a hardware store." Danny taunted.

"Yeah, and that's why I ruled this Island with Ochowa and every criminal this side of the world, while being an HPD Detective at the same time. I like it when people like you underestimate me. It makes it all that much more satisfying when I get one over them." Kaleo said, he didn't need any encouragement to start bragging about his 'high IQ'. "Where do I start from? Your friend Ben? He got in the way. My plan was just to come in and kill you but the idea of framing you for murder was more appealing." Kaleo looked at Danny for a while then laughed. "Kidding buddy, I've planned this for a long time. We're talking years. And so far, it's been going according to plan."

"And the girl? I know I never went there, I never met with her again…"

"What would you know after I roofied you? From the moment you placed those anti- anxiety pills into your drug cabinet, I had you buddy. I switched them at that very moment. What, you thought when they knocked you out each time you took them, they were being effective? Each time you woke up with no idea of what you had dreamt about you must have thought…what a good drug, right? Did the job right. You didn't want the nightmares of precious little Grace rolling over and over in that vehicle…"

"Don't you even dare say her name you miserable son of a bitch or I swear…"

"You'll what? Be done with the empty threats Danny, there's no need. I've never threatened your family. I'm not that cliché Williams, give me some credit. I'm sure by now you know I'm a little more creative than that." Kaleo said with a smirk. "Now, the girl at the bar was my best play yet. Proper cloak and dagger on you, wasn't it?"

Danny continued to stare at him with narrowed eyes, he could just pull his trigger on Kaleo right now, but the guy was too calm for someone who had a gun pointed at him. He wasn't even fazed, and Danny knew he had something up his sleeve. Something nasty.

"She was a call girl; in case you were wondering." Kaleo continued. "I paid her to pay you some attention." Kaleo laughed, "Don't tell me you actually bought that act." Kaleo shook his head in mockery. "Anyways, whether you bought it or not, the idea was just for her to be seen with you. Again, someone you 'knew' found dead, same style. Suspicious isn't it? I would have wanted to kill more people in your wake but that one worked so well your incarceration was guaranteed. No doubt maximum prison with the worst of the worst. Believe me, when you're under the influence, you go out like a light. Don't ever try drugs Danny, you don't have the stamina for it."

"I hear roofies are the same for everyone." Danny said.

"If that's what you want to believe. Anyway, I managed to drag you out of that house into your car, drove your car to the hotel and have the girl all over you. Of course, I had promised her quite the package, you know. Plenty of cash. And she did a great job, didn't disappoint. It's unfortunate I had to slice her throat afterwards. It had to be done, part of the plan. With your DNA all over her and all that, it was a slam dunk case. Of course, she didn't know that slicing her throat was part of the deal or she would not have been so willing. That one sealed your fate buddy. The Receptionist at that little Motel was just me messing with you. I needed a little bit more drama."

"What, you expect me to applaud you for your brilliance Kaleo?" Was Danny's snide comment to all of it.

"If you insist. It really was brilliant though, wasn't it?" Kaleo said, with a grin.

"You've had enough fun Kaleo, and if a bullet in your head is what's going to shut you up then that's what you'll get."

"Stop being so mediocre Williams. You really think I'm shaking in my boots because of that gun you're pointing at me? Go ahead, I dare you to shoot me and have another body on your hands, the final nail in your coffin."

"Yeah well, you've pretty much made sure of that already. What do I got to lose? I can just kill you right now. You're supposed to be dead Kaleo, I just need your corpse to prove my innocence."

"Good point Williams. Only, I'm not Kaleo. I mean, you'd have to prove it, right?"

"What the hell do you mean? Anyone who knew you can identify you."

"Yeah, as a look alike, maybe. See, Williams, like I said, I'm government now."

"You mean some type of assassin for the Secret Service or something? Those are bottom feeders. Congratulations"

"Whatever you might want to believe, point is, I don't officially exist anymore. I'm dead, officially."

"Oh, but I'll have a body, to prove you just died."

"You'll have a John Doe. 'Kaleo' is registered dead and is lying in the ground at Honolulu Cemetery. I'm just a guy." Kaleo said.

"Finger prints, dental records..."

"Whitewashed them. Dental proof, gone. Teeth pulled; fingerprints burned off."

"Well, there's got to be DNA…"

"To compare against the guy lying in the grave right now pausing as Kaleo, we destroyed all external samples so there will be nothing to compare them to." Kaleo said, with a cocky smile. "And before you bring another argument, I'll let you know that very good surgery was done on me. Cheekbones raised two centimeters; ears lowered a quarter of an inch. Not so much that someone who knew me wouldn't recognize me but enough that any forensic comparison or a photograph would conclude that I'm a look alike. So, you see, you got nothing, buddy." Kaleo said with a satisfied smirk on his face. "Of course, you can always claim insanity. Ravings of a mad, Jersey Haole." Kaleo laughed. "Like I said, I'm government now. We are very good at what we do."

Danny still had his gun trained on him as he listened with dismay. "I could just kill you anyway."

"Yeah, but the funny thing called hope is still niggling at you, right? All those things you gotta lose?" Kaleo mocked then cleared his throat, sobering. "It depends on you what you want to lose Danny. It's really very simple but, lose you will."

"What the hell are you talking about?"

"Give it a few seconds." Kaleo said, with a secret smile on his face, counting his fingers. Danny was warily confused. They could both hear a car approaching before they could see it.

Then a beat-up white truck drove up to where they were standing, and Steve got out of the truck, gun ready, trained on Kaleo.

"You ok Danny?!" Steve yelled, reluctantly taking his eyes off Kaleo to briefly glance at Danny.

"What are you doing here Steve? You shouldn't be here." Danny said, feeling apprehension creeping up on him. Kaleo had known what was about to happen, he had actually counted the seconds before Steve showed up, knowing he was going to show. Something was up and he wasn't going to like it, of that he was sure.

"We're going to seriously need to talk about this dumb move you've made Danny. And I'll have you know that I'm extremely pissed." Steve delivered then turned his attention back to Kaleo. "Can't say it's good to see you again Kaleo. For a dead man you've been causing a lot of trouble. Give me one good reason I shouldn't put a bullet in your brain right now and send you back to where you're supposed to be?" Steve threatened.

Kaleo smirked. "I'll do you one better. Look at your chest."

Steve and Danny both did, with realization and horror.

"See that red dot pointing center mass on you?" Kaleo could see with satisfaction Steve and Danny's horror as they both looked at Steve's chest, at the laser that was pointing at him. Steve could only freeze.

Kaleo smirked with satisfaction. "That's right, I have a sniper on you McGarrett. Now, here's how it's going to go down. If you shoot me, you die first. If you move, you die first." Kaleo visibly searched his mind for something more, then nodded, "Yeah, that's all for you. For now." He said to Steve.

"What the hell do you want from me Kaleo?!" Danny was having trouble breathing now, with fury and fear. "If, you want me, you got me. Alright?! You got me. I came here on my own, didn't I? Let him go. Let him walk away from this. This is between you and me, and I'm right here. Take your shot at me you son of a bitch!"

"Tsk tsk tsk." Kaleo shook his head at him. "Are you done? You gotta know, if shooting you was all I had in mind I would have just done that a long time ago. You remember me telling you I was in quite close proximity to you a number of times?"

"Kaleo, what are you doing? Huh? Just… why are you doing all this? Revenge? For what? You're the one who killed Meka…" Danny was begging now, "Your BEEF is with me! Alright? Me, damn it! Leave Steve out of this."

"Oh, it's still all about you Danny, don't fret. Now, you can make all this right. You just need to do one thing for me, and Steve here walks away. I give you my word." Kaleo said.

Danny could tell that Kaleo had something up his sleeve, something nasty, but he took the bait fast. This was his fight after all. "Anything. Just name it." Danny said hastily. "Anything, just let Steve go."

"Daniel." Steve said in warning. He knew that Kaleo was a nasty son of a bitch and he wasn't going to like this little game he was playing with Danny. He certainly didn't like that Danny had consented too quickly without knowing what it was he was being asked to do. Granted, it wasn't like Danny was being given much of a choice anyway.

Both Kaleo and Danny ignored Steve's warning as they looked at each other, pure hatred in both their eyes. No, Steve was not going to like this one little bit!

"You, Daniel Williams, have been the fuel that's been driving me one step at a time, day by day. Just the thought of seeing you like this, at your final end…" he shook his head in relish of the thought, "Makes my heart bleed." Kaleo said with mock sympathy.

Danny remained still, his eyes focusing on Kaleo, wishing he could channel his hatred towards him hoping the guy would just explode, not happening.

"I would have liked to play with you a little more Daniel, but I fear time is of the essence and this is where we end things. At genesis we end at dawn, remember?" Kaleo said, quoting the message he had left for Danny. "Now," Kaleo said, looking at his wristwatch, "You've got about five minutes and we're already counting, sorry buddy." Kaleo cast another mock sympathetic look at Danny. "I'm sure you can hear the sires coming closer, unfortunately that's not your backup, it's a time bomb. My own little time bomb."

"Then say whatever it is you want me to do so I can do it already!" Danny hissed; fear barely contained.

Steve was thinking they were finally going to catch a break. The police were here, things were falling apart for Kaleo.

"Oh, not before I mention that there's rule number three to Steve." Kaleo said, turning to Steve, the sirens were getting louder and closer.

Danny and Steve had their fingers crossed, hope was starting to shine, just a little. They might just get out of this after all. Kaleo didn't have a whole lot of time before the police arrived. Of course, the rest of Five 0 was in jail right now, but HPD will see to it that Kaleo was booked and put right back where he belonged. And everything else will return to normal.

Kaleo turned to Danny, "For you, it's very simple really. I want you to turn that gun you have in your hand towards yourself."

Danny twitched but remained in his original position, gun trained on Kaleo. Steve made a dismayed grunt.

Kaleo continued, "Just under your chin there, I want to get away from here after I've seen your dead body with an exploded head on the ground." He smile, "You won't be able to read the papers of course, you'd be dead, but they will read, 'Murderous Detective commits suicide'. Nice caption,right?"

"You really think you're going to get away with this, don't you?" Steve asked in incredulity, stalling for time as he could hear the sirens getting closer.

"That's right, because you're going to make sure of it. See, rule number three for you, is to make sure I get out of here scot free or … you die." Kaleo said with a shrug.

"You're out of your mind if you think I'll help you even if it's to save my own life!" Steve said with venom.

Kaleo shrugged, "Then Danny here is going to die for nothing. It's really a matter of who dies first I guess. Or who dies for whom, simple. You're stalling for time, I know, but let me make it clear that that's your timer there. If those squad cars get within fifty meters from here, then you're dead Steve. So, it's really up to Danny here. The sooner you blow your brains out, the sooner Steve gets off the hook. Your choice." Kaleo chuckled self-indulgently, "Checkmate buddies."

Shit! This was a total game changer. Son of a bitch. No! Steve thought in renewed horror.

Danny slowly turned the gun towards himself, putting the barrel just under his chin, a look of resignation in his eyes.

"Danny No!" Steve yelled, making to move towards Danny, for a minute forgetting the laser on his chest.

"Don't Steve. Don't move. Please don't let this be for nothing," Danny pleaded, gun firm under his chin.

Steve remained frozen in place, aware of his entrapment. If he moved, he died, but maybe it was better that way. Maybe it was better him than Danny. But he knew Danny would sooner shoot himself before he saw Steve shot. The look in Danny's eyes arrested him, the sirens were getting closer, but Steve knew if he moved, he'd just be expediting the process. Danny would die sooner that he had to, even if it was only by a few seconds. The look in Danny's eyes said he was ready to take the shot.

"Danny don't!" Steve pleaded.

"It's ok. I got this." Danny said, with some reassurance in his eyes. It froze Steve's heart with fear. No no no no no no no, this was not happening. Not happening!

The sirens were getting closer still, by now they could see the squad cars. Time was running out alright. Talk about a time bomb.

"You can't do this Danny. You just can't! Think about Grace, think about Charlie. Let me do this…"

"No Steve. This is on me. Don't worry, everything will be cleared up, after I'm gone…"

"No! No No Don't say that!"

"After I'm gone, I need you to listen to the voice message I left on your phone. It will explain everything."

"No, Danny please …don't"

"Just do this one thing for me Steve, tell Grace and Charlie, Danno loved them so much…"

Steve blinked away tears, his throat getting so clogged he could only shake his head in denial.

"Tell Rachel I did love her, and that I'm sorry."

"You tell her yourself Danny. It doesn't have to end like this." Steve pleaded.

"Tell the team I'm grateful." Danny continued.

"I hope you realize that the more you stall here, the closer that bullet is getting to Steve's heart." Kaleo said, making a telling glance at the approaching squad cars.

Danny ignored him but took a firmer hold of his gun, pressing into his chin. He looked at Steve, "You've been more than a brother to me Steve, and I'm grateful for that."

"Don't do this." Steve pleaded, the squad cars were already about fifty meters close now, time was up.

"Don't miss me too much, you Neanderthal. See you on the other side, I hope." Then Danny smiled and closed his eyes, finger ready to squeeze the trigger.

"Noooooo!" Steve moved.

Banggggg!

...

**See you in a bit.**


	18. Chapter 18

**Final Chapter 18**

**Hey guys, here's the finale chapter. Again it's long but i hope you will enjoy it and send reviews my way. Thanks so much for the support, i really appreciated it.**

**What I've learnt from a soldier**  
**Every man is a son to a daughter**  
**And we only remember**  
**When we see the blood**

...

Erick had come along with the squad cars; he was still forensics after all. He was the only one left now, the insider. HPD squad cars had now circled the area when the shot rang out. It all happened in a flash and now he just stood stupefied, unable to move from the horror he was witnessing. He could not look away from the scene but from his peripheral vision he could see, or rather imagine Duke mimicking the same horrified look.

Once he could shake off the ice to function for a moment, all he could do was scream, "Noooo!" As he rushed to the scene.

….

The sniper hustled to dismantle his gun and packed it. It really had been a matter of judgement here; he had had no choice but to do what was less damaging for all. It had turned out a disaster still, but one he could better explain at least. There was no way out for Kaleo, the guy had played it too close. Yeah, he was his friend, as much a friend someone like him could have in this sort of industry anyway. He had even helped him execute his little vengeance. But he knew that if it ever came to choosing between his 'friend' and a mission or his cover, the latter two would win. It was just the nature of the job. And he was all ready to help Kaleo, really, had helped him thus far with all the frames and tech. It had been a little fun too, he would admit. But the guy had was a tit bit emotional, his hatred for Williams had surpass sound judgement and he knew the consequences of that. He could not risk him being captured. The guy wasn't that good at this subtlety thing, the way he bragged about being government and all, it was just too risky to let him be captured, to even take the chance. So, he had made a judgement call with the time limit he had, he really hadn't had a choice. With no remorse whatsoever, he picked his way silently through the jungle, good sport he had picked for sure. By the time they reeled from what had happened, through all that chaos, he would be long gone. And if he didn't want to be found, he wouldn't be found. He had taken care to make sure that even his shoe-prints would not be found, but just in case he had left one or two out there, he bent down and took off the fake shoe prints off his shoes, leaving a different type of print all together. Let them pick through that and solve that mystery.

…..

Danny had pulled the trigger, he really had. The shot had rung out, that much he had heard. Two shots? One shot? He really didn't know. Steve didn't know if he was still moving on autopilot or not, he didn't know why or how he was still moving, walking, running to Danny, because he was supposed to be dead by now. He had moved and a shot had rung out, but he didn't feel anything. Couldn't. He didn't even have time to check himself, to see if he was bleeding from anywhere, if the bullet had found his heart and this was just the last kicking's of a dying horse or if the bullet had missed him. All he had to do; all he need to do as get to Danny.

God no. God no no no no. Please no. He screamed in his head as he took one finale step to catch Danny as he fell, full body weight bringing him down on his knees. The hand holding the gun going limp on Danny's side, weightless as the gun dropped to the ground. Steve couldn't breathe. His mind was fuzzy, reality was unfathomable at the moment.

At first, he didn't register it, but Danny was breathing. He couldn't believe it until Danny knelt with the strength of his own knees and away from Steve, shock registering in his eyes. They were both in shock that they just stared at each other. Danny was alive. Steve had seen him squeeze that trigger, he had heard the shot, he had moved too late. How was he still alive?

Danny was thinking the same thing as soon as his brain began to function. Steve had moved, Danny had heard the shot, he had pulled his own trigger towards his own chin to blow up his head, but he had feared that he had been too late. Steve had moved, the shot had rung out. How was Steve still alive?

"How are you…? How…just how…?" Steve stammered as he checked Danny, head was still in one piece, no blood anywhere. Danny was unharmed it seemed. Just how?

Danny didn't know how to answer that question. He had been caught in a trap no doubt, he had pulled the trigger he had had no choice. His gun had been loaded. Now, as his mind came into focus, he realized that the shot he had heard was not from his own gun. What he heard from his own gun was a loud click. Loud but not a shot, no.

"My gun jammed." He said to Steve, voice barely a whisper. The shock of it all still robbed him of strength. When he had pulled the trigger he remembered letting go, losing strength as he prepared to go down, only to have Steve break his fall. Steve, who was supposed to be bleeding out from a gunshot right now. Then where had the shot come from?

They could here Eric running towards them now, yelling. He came and knelt down with them.

"You OK? Uncle D? What the…? I saw you pull the trigger on yourself…. what…what the…?"

"I'm OK Eric. I'm fine. My gun jammed." Danny rasped.

At that Steve came to the full realization of the whole situation, the implication of it all. He dropped his head trying to catch a breath and get into a better head space. Failing to achieve that, he got up, walked away a few steps and bent on his knees, trying to regulate his breathing. They were both alive, Danny was alive. Just how?! Gun had jammed. For God's sake! What was that?!

Providence, a voice inside him said.

Then all hell broke loose as the FBI moved in, yelling Federal jargon Steve wasn't in the right head space to analyze at the moment. They had just dodged a bullet. Thank you, God! Thank you.

"You're under arrest! Put your hands behind your head!"

Steve wasn't paying attention; he was still in a trance. Then he saw Agent Nelson putting cuffs on Danny, who was not resisting, he seemed weak.

"You're under arrest for multiple counts of murder Daniel Williams. Including this one." Agent Nelson said with a gleeful look in his eyes, pointing at a body at a distance with a pull of blood pulling around it.

Steve couldn't protest as by now he had his own hands being cuffed to his back. HPD officers were there for back up, guns pointed at them as if they were some sort of low-grade criminals.

"Wait, which other one?" Steve asked, turning, for the first time noticing the body on the ground. It was Kaleo, bullet had gone through the right side of his head, dead.

"Now, Nelson, whatever else you can pin on us, fine. But you're not pining that body on us. Look at the trajectory of that bullet. Look at the side from which that bullet penetrated. I know you don't believe I can could have shot him from this other side of him and Danny was standing right in front of him, no way he could have made that shot." Steve protested.

"It's not about what I believe McGarrett, it's about what I can pin of you." Agent Nelson snarled, yanking at the cuffs on McGarett's wrists, propelling him forward to a squad car while the other Agent did the same with Danny. "And believe me, I can pin this one on you, no problem."

"The whole of HPD witnessed what happened, even if you claim not to. CSU is here, no way you can temper with that scene, Nelson." McGarrett argued.

"I'll do the best I can." Nelson said with a smirk. He had them now, and scene or no scene, they were going down!

Danny whispered something to Eric before he was forced into the squad car next to Steve.

"That son of a bitch is trying to nail this on us!" Steve hissed.

"Eric is on it, it's gonna be OK." Danny reassured calmly.

Steve would have questioned Danny's uncharacteristic calmness on any other day, but today, forget that he had a gun jam in his head, the guy had been through hell and back for quite a while now. Steve focused ahead; he was just grateful they were both alive. Neither one had much to say, still processing all that had just happened. They were taken to HQ, feeling how ironic it all was as they were pushed through the interrogation room and secured onto their metal chairs, chains and all.

As soon as the FBI and the HPD officers went out, Danny started to shake with laughter.

"What?" Steve asked, he still had his aneurysm face on, not seeing anything funny about this.

"Don't tell me you can't see the irony in this Steven." Danny said, looking at the chains securing him on to his chair, then at Steve's.

Steve smirked, "Maybe we need to put of cushion on the chairs, these are damn uncomfortable. Hard to tell who might be sitting in these chairs one day."

"They are effective." Danny quipped. He could not help laughing.

"You're hysterical, buddy." Steve pointed out.

"I just had a gun jam in my head, Steve. Exactly how?!"

"Don't think about it, just be grateful." Steve said soberly. "God knows I'm."

"I just…I could cry right now Steve. Just how it could have turned out, man." Danny shook his head in wonder.

"I know." Steve said in wonder too. "But right now, we've got another mountain to climb. We could be going to prison for a while buddy."

"Better alive than dead, right. But thanks for coming along with me. Through hell and back, you've got my back." Danny said with gratitude.

"Yeah, you'd do the same for me. But don't ever do that to me again Danno." Steve said somberly.

"I'll try." Danny said with a smirk.

He seemed to be in a better mood than Steve. Could be that plan of his was giving him new hope, or just the fact that they were both alive was enough for him for now.

But f this plan Danny had didn't work out and psycho Nelson got his way, then they will be going to prison for a long time, and uncomfortable metal chairs would be the least of their worries.

….

Agent Kurb was watching his partner Agent Nelson closely. The guy was a psycho, everyone knew it, that's why he felt stuck working with the guy. Something was wrong with Nelson upstairs and he wasn't past tampering with evidence to get what he wanted. Agent Kurb still doubted the shirt evidence that Nelson had miraculously come up with, he knew the guy had developed an unhealthy hateful obsession with McGarrett, for whatever reason. They didn't usually need a reason to be on Nelson's bad side but being all 'Commander I'm McGarrett' will sure do it. However, as annoying as the guy was to Kurb himself, he was not going to let Nelson cook evidence to put the guys away. This whole thing was starting to become something else entirely. Kurb was inclined to believe that William was being framed, the new dead guy, and who had shot him? It certainly wasn't Williams or McGarrett from where they had been standing. If they had not all witnessed the shot that had come from far off in the jungle, McGarrett and Williams would have a one-way ticket to prison. But now things were proving to be a bit more complicated than they seemed. Whatever may come, Agent Kurb would make sure that justice was served. Real justice.

The Governor was there, biting every morsel Nelson was feeding her as they circled the round computer table at 5-0 HQ. Nelson wanted this crown and it seemed he was eyeing the Palace as well, the way he was cozying up to the Governor.

The Governor sighed in resignation. "Ok, I guess all the evidence is here. I think from this point it's time to let the courts handled it.

Nelson nodded, barely able to contain his joy, Agent Kurb had serious misgivings, a lot was being pushed under the rug, reasonable explanations being cooked up instead of real evidence for the sake of expediency, but what could he do? The sooner this was over the better he could move on to better cases. McGarrett and Williams' fates were sealed, as well as the whole of 5-0.

…

Steve and Danny didn't question it as they were released from their chairs only to be taken out of the interrogation room, wrists still cuffed. Danny's plan hadn't worked, Steve could bet his badge they were now being transferred to HPD holding. They knew the drill; they wouldn't leave the cuffs on if they had been proven innocent by some miracle. He wasn't holding his breath for two miracles in a space of one day.

They were led to the computer room, seeing Nelson and his FBI cronies surrounding the computer table as if they owned the place rankled Steve, but seeing the Governor there too knocked the breath out of his lungs.

The Governor cleared her throat before addressing Steve and Danny, "Gentlemen, it's sad that it has come to this, but I think it's time the courts took over from here." Then she signaled for the waiting HPD officers to proceed with them outside.

Steve couldn't utter a word in protest. The game was over. Even in death, Kaleo still managed his checkmate.

Then at that moment, Eric burst through the doors, panting. "Wait wait, Uncle D. I got it. Right here." He was holding Steve's phone one hand.

"Thanks Eric." Danny said with relief, then turned to address the Governor. "Governor, when I went to meet up with Kaleo this morning, I had an idea that I would not come out of it alive. I knew that. But with my last breath I was going to prove my innocence and that of my friends who were only trying to help me. I hid that phone on record mode in Steve's truck and made sure Kaleo bragged about everything he had done to me. If I may just have a minute of your time ma'am, I would like you to listen to the recording on that phone." Danny pleaded with the Governor.

The whole room went still. Agent Nelson cleared his throat, "It's inadmissible in Court."

"You a Lawyer too?" Steve snapped at Nelson.

"But it is admissible to me." Said the Governor. "Play the recording."

Eric jumped at the prospect and played the recording. The room went quiet as they heard everything on the phone.

The Governor turned to Steve and Danny, "Well, it seems this doesn't need the Courts after all. Take off their hand cuffs and give them back their badges." She said to the HPD officers.

"Just like that?" Nelson protested.

"Just like that." The Governor concurred. "You heard everything on that recording Agent, and I'm sure you can make an unbiased judgement here."

"We… uh… we got it Governor. They are free to go." Agent Kurb said, he didn't want to be embarrassed any further.

"Seeing as the real culprit is dead now, this is the only evidence we have and all the evidence we need. In the meantime, we have a sniper on the loose who may be a rogue Government Agent and I would like my team to deal with it." She said, addressing Steve now, ignoring Agent Nelson's disgruntled grunts.

Steve accepted his badge back as Danny also did when his hands were cuffed. This had turned out so much better than he had hopped. He would never underestimate a miracle again.

"May I also request that the rest of my team be released from holding. Whatever they did, they did under my command." Steve said.

"I have no problem with that. They will be released as soon as possible. I'm sure you're going to need all hands-on deck to go after this professional sniper." The Governor said.

"About that ma'am," Steve said, "I'll rather give the honors to Agent Nelson and his partner here. This was their case after all, and I say they are not finished yet since they haven't got the real culprits. I wouldn't want to take that opportunity from them." Steve said, barely containing his smirk at Nelson.

The Governor seemed to understand then nodded. "I understand that, and I know you and your team have been through a lot, so yes, you can sit this one out, unwind. I'm sure the FBI can handle this. After all."

"Thank you, Governor." Steve said, then turned to Nelson. "I believe you trail is getting cold, you might want to get on with it."

"I'd say start from the jungle." Danny added, "The trajectory of that bullet pointed to somewhere deep in the jungle. Wouldn't you say so Steve?"

"Deep deep in the jungle. You might want to start from there." Steve agreed.

Erick snickered. Agent Kurb wanted to bang his head against the wall for having to work another endless case with psycho Nelson again. Their partnership had been on a trial basis, for this case only, and now it seemed he was stuck with him a while longer.

Agent Nelson didn't know how he managed to control his temper seeing that triumphant smirk on McGarrett's face. But he knew if he let himself lose control now, he was sure going to be the one confined in a loony bin instead of Williams. He remembered his childhood's near miss and got hold of himself. He didn't say another word as he made his way out of the building.

…..

**Epilogue**

Much later, on Steve's backyard, the team sat around with long-boards while Steve took care of the barbecue. He was going to make it extra good for his team, for all they had done today. Grace and Charlie had been glued to their father for a while but now they were busy playing with Tani in the sand. Rachel didn't seem like she would be leaving Danny's side anytime soon. Steve had not told anyone the gory details of what had actually happened, what could have happened, but Rachel seemed to have a sixth sense about it. Today, she would have lost Danny for good. They all would have.

"So, you think the guy we caught messing with those computers in that tiny apartment was the accomplice?" Lou said, taking a drink from his long-board, relaxing in his chair.

"Had to be." Adam said.

"That scrawny little guy is an assassin for the CIA, government or whatever?" Lou laughed. "Looks sure are deceiving."

"And i bet that's why he got the job. A sniper who looks anything like it. " Steve contributed for where he was turning his barbecue. "And with a guy like that, good luck for the FBI finding him."

"I bet that's why you handed then the case boss." Junior joined.

"They wanted a case so much, they got a case." Steve said with a smirk. "Better them than us chasing after a guy who's long gone. I just wanted them out of my territory asap. That Nelson guy is a bit of a psycho."

"You noticed it too?" Danny said. They laughed as they continued their leisurely conversations over long-boards.

Danny was contemplating the same as he looked at his Ohana now with a new light, seeing the real meaning of the word. Such loyalty was too big for words. Ohana, his family, in every sense of the word. He felt like he had a new lease on life, and he would use it wisely. He hadn't just dodged a bullet there, his gun jammed in his head for God's sake! Danny had been cleared of all charges, the recording more than enough evidence to cleared everyone of the 5-0 members. Of course the Governor had enough reach to make it happen, immunity and means, 5-0 never really needed due process and protocol but in a case like this one, the governor had to have used a lot of muscle to gt them cleared. Much like when Steve was cleared of the Governor Jameson's murder by Governor Denning in that tiny room in Kamekona's backrooms. The whole of Five 0 had been cleared right there and then, badges handed over and immediately dispatched on another mission to capture Wo-Fat. All they had needed was that video recording. All except Kono. It seemed being on the Governor's task force had a lot of fly, and Danny could appreciate it now. Had he been with HPD still, he would be still be in holding by now waiting due process, along with his 'accomplices'. Another thing to thank God for, that he was with 5-0, in the Governor's back pocket and had Ohana like this.

Looking at his Ohana now, if he didn't believe in miracles before, he did now. Someone was sure looking out for him and he murmured a silent 'thank you' directed upstairs.

...

**Thanks lots guys. Forgive the mistakes. **


End file.
